PUTRAJAYA: All evidence suggests that last week's deadly fire, which claimed 23 lives at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz centre in Keramat, started at the entrance of the third floor dormitory.
The fire had also spread rapidly, killing the victims within a short span of time.
The Fire and Rescue Department, summarising its findings of the incident today, said this was surmised from spalling (breaking down of surface layers of masonry) at the wall near the dorm entrance, as well as damage to nearby areas.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said findings also indicated that it was an incendiary fire.
(An incendiary fire is one intentionally created under circumstances where the person knows the fire should not be ignited)
Wan Mohd Nor said petrol residue were found on the towel rack and shoe rack, and a nearby wall.
"In this case, two key pieces of evidence were found. Two liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders were found in front of the dorm entrance. Both cylinders were empty with their valves open.
"Another evidence was gleaned from the K9 Unit, which detected seven spots; seven samples were collected from the front of the dorm entrance.
"Four sniffer dogs were used (one after another) and all of them pointed to the same place," he told a press conference today.
Four samples were found to have fire accelerant residue, said Wan Mohd Nor.
He said the fire had spread to the ceiling and razed the door of the third floor dorm.
"The fire spread quickly because of the LPG gas which had been released.
"In addition, there were also many fire load (items which increase the chances of fire spreading) inside the dorm which caused the fire to spread rapidly and raise the heat, killing those were still sleeping in a short time," he said.
Asked if it was true that the dorm door had been jammed shut with a spanner, as some reports had claimed, Wan Mohd Nor replied in the negative.
He said the department had submitted its full report to the police yesterday.
Wan Mohd Nor described the tragedy was the second worst fire incident involving religious schools in the country.
He said the worst was the 1989 incident which took place at the Taufiqiah Khairiah Al-Halimah, Padang Lumut in Kedah. A total of the 27 students had perished in that incident.
Last Thursday, the nation mourned the loss of 23 lives, 21 of whom were students, at the religious school in Datuk Keramat.
Seven boys, aged between 12 and 18, were detained one day after the incident.
A police probe showed that the boys had started the fire in a bid to seek revenge against some of the students, whom they had a disagreement with.