Lone survivor from Bedok fire passes away in Kuala Lumpur hospital
On Sunday (24 March), the lone survivor from the fire that occurred at Bedok North Avenue 2 nearly two years ago died in a Malaysian hospital.
36-year-old Koh Pei Yee had been in a vegetative state since the incident in May 2022 that had claimed her husband and daughter.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Ms Koh died at around 12.30am on 24 March.
She had been hospitalised in Singapore for two months after the fire occurred on 13 May 2022, before her family moved her to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
Relatives who did not want to be named told Lianhe Zaobao they are heartbroken at the sight of Ms Koh lying in the hospital bed.
They initially had hopes for an improvement in her condition and sent her to the hospital for a CT scan. However, she remained in a vegetative state due to excessive smoke inhalation causing brain trauma.
Despite this, they did not give up hope and took turns taking care of her and talking to her as usual.
“Although she couldn’t move or speak, she could blink. We all felt that she was still conscious and could hear us,” a relative said.
Ashes to be placed with husband and daughter
During the days Ms Koh was bedridden, she could only eat through a tube. Over time, she lost weight and on Saturday (23 March) evening, her breathing slowed down before she eventually died.
“Over the past year or so, family members have adjusted their mindset and have been mentally prepared, but we were still very sad when she passed away,” the relative said.
However, they also felt that her “departure” might actually be a form of consolation.
We were worried that should she wake up one day, she wouldn’t know how to deal with the death of her husband and daughter.
Ms Koh is survived by her parents, both in their 60s, her older brother and two younger sisters. Her family will hold a memorial service for her and place her ashes with her husband and daughter.
The fire, which occurred at Block 409, claimed the lives of 56-year-old Aileen Chan Ai Lin, Ms Koh’s husband Tan Soon Keong, 35, and her three-year-old daughter Hui En.
It was caused by a cigarette left unattended by Ms Chan’s boyfriend. Although she eventually removed it when he alerted her to do so, hot ash and embers from the cigarette likely ignited the cardboard boxes it had been on.
Authorities pronounced Ms Chan dead at the scene. Mr Tan and Hui En were rushed to the hospital, but died from smoke inhalation.
Also read: How Bedok North HDB Fire Started From Lit Cigarette & Claimed 3 Lives Including Toddler: A Timeline
How Bedok North HDB Fire Started From Lit Cigarette & Claimed 3 Lives Including Toddler: A Timeline
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao and Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook.
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