[6][7] Investigations revealed that a quarrel had erupted between the madrasa boarders and a group of seven teenage boys who entered the area to abuse drugs they had purchased.
Additional factors included a firework assault against the madrasa boarders by the same teens and a dispute over the use of the futsal court between the two parties.
[8] The fire started on the second and upper floors of the madrasa building and quickly spread throughout most of the structure, blocking the only entrance and trapping the occupants inside.
Initially, the firefighters thought it might be due to a short circuit,[12] but after a full investigation and through CCTV footage outside the building, several suspects were identified as having infiltrated the area around 3:10 am.
[2][3] On August 17, 2020, Muhammad Adli Shah Bin Mohd Yusry was found guilty of 23 counts of murder and was sentenced to detention at the pleasure of the Yang-Dipertuan Agong.
[17] Najib sent condolences to all the victims and urged all madrasas to comply with safety standards and regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.