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A FIRE broke out at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tinggi Setapak on Monday night, severely damaging a male student dormitory block but leaving all 91 residents safe, as they were attending evening prayers when the blaze erupted.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said immediate assistance would be provided to support the school community.
“I have been informed about the fire incident at SMK Tinggi Setapak. Immediate aid will be channelled to safeguard the well-being of all those affected,” she said in a post on her official Facebook page on Tuesday.
The fire, which started at 8.43pm, was reported to have engulfed the first floor of the dormitory block, resulting in approximately 80 per cent structural damage.
Operations commander from the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department, Senior Fire Superintendent II Japari Tajuddin, said a team of 40 firefighters and eight engines was deployed to the scene after receiving the emergency call.
“The fire involved the first floor of the boys’ dormitory and was brought under control by 9.40pm. At the time of the incident, all students were at the school surau waiting for Isyak prayers. No injuries have been reported,” he said in a statement.
“The cause of the fire and the total damage are still under investigation by our forensic unit,” he added.
Eyewitness Muzelysham Mustafa, 51, said his son, who was in the surau, alerted him after hearing the fire alarm.
“I know the school layout well as my wife used to work there. I rushed to the dormitory and found no students inside. My son and I tried to extinguish the fire using fire extinguishers, but the flames spread too quickly,” he said.
Another student, Muhamad Adha Mikail, 17, recalled hearing the sound of shattering glass while performing ablution at the nearby surau.
“I saw the flames at the dormitory and quickly informed my friends and the hostel warden, who then triggered the fire alarm. We all gathered at the school assembly point,” he said.
Videos of the blaze have since circulated widely on social media, showing the intensity of the fire as it swept through the dormitory building. - April 29, 2025
