A fire broke out earlier this morning at Basic Education High School No.9 in Pabedan Ward, Mawlamyine, Mon State, and initial reports say it was the result of an arson attack.

A local resident quoted CCTV footages as saying that a woman on a bicycle entered the school compound and set fire to the school around 1:00 am.

"We learnt that a fire broke out at the school only when smoke was rising into the sky," he continued.

The fire was reported to have been contained by firefighters, social relief teams, and local residents at about 4.45 am.

The fire burned down a 110-year-old two-story wooden religious building and a two-story RC building for computer science training.

Basic Education High School No.9 in Mawlamyine is a former Shin Maha Buddha Gawsa national school, which was founded by a well-known nationalist organization on April 23, 1899 when Myanmar was ruled by the British. Local residents say that it is a 124-year-old historic school. The burnt religious building built in 1275 Myanmar Era is 110 years old.

On August 3 this year also, school caught fire burning down the school office, a middle school building and a three-story building.