Myaungmya school investigated for homicide after fire kills student

A boarding school in Myaungmya, Ayeyawady Region, is being investigated for homicide after student died as a result of injuries he sustained in a fire on campus.

On June 14, a small fire broke out in one of the school’s dorm rooms. The room was shared by five students, three of whom had to be hospitalized as a result of the blaze. This past Tuesday, one of the students, Khant Min San, passed away at around 8am, prompting authorities to approach the case as a possible homicide.

While the investigation into the cause of the fire was originally opened under Penal Code sections 285 (“Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter”), 337 (“Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of other”), and 338 (“Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety others”), following Khant Min San’s death, the last charge has been formally changed to “culpable homicide” under Section 304.

And although no one has officially been arrested, the deceased’s family suspects the school of negligence. Khant Min San’s father, Ah Tar, told Eleven that school officials initially told him that the fire broke out as a result of a cigarette that his son was smoking. However, Ah Tar suspected them of lying to him, and it turned out his gut was right, as the story soon changed.

“I told them that after everything my son has gone through, to please respect his dignity, and then they said that [the fire] broke out because of a mosquito coil,” he stated.

“The fire only started around my son’s bed; everything else [in the room] was untouched. As for evidence, only the bed is left. They gave the excuse that the kids threw away everything else.”

The headmistress of the boarding school told Eleven that in the aftermath of the fire, some of the items that were burnt in the blaze were accidentally thrown out by the students. “We also want to know the real cause behind the fire,” she said.

However, Ah Tar doesn’t buy their explanation. He pointed out: “They’re hiding the evidence. There are CCTV cameras at the house, but when we asked to review the footage, they refused.”