15 girls died in the blaze and more than 50 were injured

But the report - carried by most newspapers in the kingdom - absolved Saudi Arabia's powerful religious police of blame for making the death toll worse.

The report into the fire two weeks ago said that the girls' education authority had ignored warnings from the headmistress of the school that overcrowding there could cause a fatal stampede.

It also found that there were not enough fire alarms and extinguishers.

'Step towards reform'

The report said that the fire had been caused by a student who put a cigarette out on a pile of papers.

But it said that the department responsible for the education of girls was also to blame.

King Fahd dismissed Mr Murshid and gave his responsibilities to officials in the Education Ministry.

The two agencies have been separate for 40 years, with girls' education in the control of the religious establishment.

Many newspapers approved Mr el-Murshid's dismissal, seeing the decision as a step towards reform of the country's conservative education system.

But accusations that the religious police had prevented girls fleeing the school because they were not wearing head scarves were dismissed as "untrue".

Allegations against police

The mutaween - or Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice - are widely feared in Saudi Arabia. They roam the streets enforcing dress codes and sex segregation, and ensuring prayers are performed on time.

About 800 pupils were inside the school when the tragedy occurred on 11 March. More than 50 were injured in the incident.

A witness said that police had beaten back the girls as they tried to escape.

But Interior Minister Prince Nayef last week denied the charges, saying that two members of the police force had gone to the scene of the fire to prevent "mistreatment" of the girls.