Innalillahi, 8 Santri Ponpes Miftahul Khoirot Karawang Dies During Fire

Officers brought fire victims to Miftahul Khoirot Islamic Boarding School, Karawang. (ANTARA/HO-Karawang Regency Government)

KARAWANG - Karawang Resort Police stated that eight students of Miftahul Khoirot Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) Manggungjaya Village, Cilamaya Kulon District, Karawang Regency, West Java, died in a fire incident.

"The fire broke out at the Islamic boarding school. Eight people died," said Karawang Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Aldi Subartono, in Karawang, Antara, Monday, February 20.

In addition to the victims who died, there were also a number of students who were injured, so they had to undergo treatment at the Karawang Regional General Hospital.

The Police Chief said that after receiving the report of the fire, his party immediately went to the location and carried out the scene of the incident and helped evacuate the victims. As for the cause of the fire at the boarding school, the police are still investigating.

According to him, according to the testimony of a number of witnesses, the fire started with sparks from a fan in a room. Then the sparks fell on the mattress until a fire broke out.

"The victims who died during the incident were on the second floor of the Islamic boarding school," he said.

Previously, the Head of the Manggungjaya Village confirmed that a fire occurred at the Miftahul Khoirot Islamic Boarding School building, Manggungjaya Village, Cilamaya Kulon District, Karawang Regency, which was scorched in a fire that occurred on Monday.

"The fire suddenly appeared and grew," said Head of Manggungjaya Village, Dedi Embun in Karawang.

He said the fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical short. Because suddenly a fire emerged from a room which then burned the two-story Islamic boarding school building.

The students and local residents immediately tried to extinguish the fire with makeshift tools, while waiting for the Karawang Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Fire Department.

Firefighters from BPBD Karawang managed to extinguish the fire for more than two hours. However, the information that has been collected from the village and sub-district parties, there are several students who become victims of life.