Fire in Iranian school kills 13
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-14 09:54

A malfunctioning heater in an Iranian school ignited a barrel of kerosene, touching off a blaze that killing 13 children Thursday, state television reported.

Eighteen other students were injured, some seriously, by the fire in Safilan village, some 435 miles south of Tehran, in the mountains of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, the state TV reported.

A teacher who tried to save the children was admitted to hospital with serious burns, state television reported.

District Governor Ali Khani told state television the dead included seven girls and six boys. He didn't provide ages.

Khani said that owing to technical failure, flames shot out of the heater and ignited a barrel of kerosene that had been left nearby. He gave no other details.

Later Thursday villagers buried the dead in the local cemetery, the television reports said.

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