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2 Malaysian boys charged with murder in Islamic school fire that killed 23

The mother of fire victim Hartini Abdul Ghani speaks to journalists during the court hearing Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
(Daniel Chan / AP)
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Two Malaysian teenagers have been charged with murder after being accused of intentionally setting a fire at an Islamic boarding school that killed 23 people, mostly students.

Prosecutor Othman Abdullah said Thursday that no plea was taken from the two boys and the magistrate set a hearing for Nov. 28.

The accused boys are minors but he couldn’t immediately provide their exact ages. Because of their age, they will not face a possible death penalty.

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They were among seven teenagers detained days after the Sept. 14 blaze for allegedly using cooking gas tanks and petrol to set fire to a dormitory on the school’s top floor because the students there had teased them. The blaze blocked the lone exit to the dormitory, trapping students behind barred windows.

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