They say not all superheroes wear capes and barge in guns a’blazing. In this case, it was a freshly discharged 77-year-old ah ma.
Seeing that a fire had broken out at her neighbour’s HDB unit on Monday (3 Aug) afternoon, the senior tottered down the stairs as fast as she could to warn her friend staying there.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the fire broke out in a 4-room unit at Block 370 along Bukit Batok Street 31.
Mdm Chen Yasong was reportedly watching TV in her living room when she smelled a pungent burning smell.
Curious, she went to check it out, only to see smoke billowing from her friend’s kitchen window.
A neighbour from an opposite flat yelled to Mdm Chen,
Your neighbour downstairs is on fire!
Fearing that her neighbour could be trapped at home, Mdm Chen wasted no haste in rushing down. While this act in itself may come easily to some of us, Miss Chen struggles to walk even a few steps because of her age and asthma.
Mdm Chen had to apparently lean against the handrail as she made her way down the steps. Droplets of sweat formed on her forehead, but the worry of her neighbour not making it out spurred her on.
Fortunately, the neighbour in question and her young son had escaped. SCDF personnel and police officers had also arrived in time to assist the residents’ evacuation to a safer place.
The fire was believed to have been caused by the washing machine in the homeowner’s kitchen.
Turns out, Mdm Chen had an asthma attack a week prior to the incident and was just discharged from the hospital when the incident occurred, reports Lianhe Zaobao.
Responding to her neighbours’ praises calling her a heroine, the 77-year-old ah ma smiled modestly and said,
I am not a hero. Being a neighbour entails watching out and helping each other.
The pandemic that we’re in the midst of is not an easy one to navigate, especially alone. When possible, it is often good practice to keep an eye out for one another, such as your neighbours.
This was also a testament as to how not all superheroes swerve in in sleek bat mobiles or dive off cliffs. Some take the form of an ah ma teetering down as fast she could with all the spirit and might to save you.
Featured images adapted from Zaobao and Google Maps.
She is currently still in a coma in the intensive care unit.
#ThrowbackTuesday.
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Where is the bed?
It is unclear how old the children were.
Major changes will only happen after the General Election.