EU Calls For Probing Myanmar Muslim School Fire That Killed 13 Children

RTT News

April 3, 2013

The European Union has demanded an investigation into the deaths of 13 children in a fire at a Myanmar Muslim religious school on Tuesday.

"The High Representative calls on the authorities to urgently conduct a thorough investigation that will leave no doubt as to the causes of this tragic incident," spokesperson for EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

"The High Representative is deeply troubled by reports of deaths of 13 children caused by a fire in the dormitory of a Muslim school in Yangon. She expresses her condolences to the families of the victims," the statement added.

The pre-dawn fire on Tuesday was ignited by an electrical short-circuit, reports quoting officials said. The rest of about 75 orphans, who were accommodated in the building adjacent to a mosque, escaped unhurt.

Authorities ruled out foul play in the incident that occurred amid an upsurge in fatal sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims, which so far claimed more than 40 lives in central Myanmar.

All the victims reportedly were boys, who died of burns or smoke inhalation.

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, was the country's capital when it was called Burma.