A coroner has found that the Bedok North fire that claimed three lives in May 2022, including that of a three-year-old and her father, started from a lit cigarette left out by the boyfriend of the third victim.
On Wednesday (22 Nov), State Coroner Adam Nakhoda ruled their deaths as unfortunate misadventures, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.
Ms Chan Ai Lin Aileen’s boyfriend, Mr Ithnin, had forgotten about a cigarette he lit up and placed on a stack of cardboard boxes before leaving for work.
By the time he remembered it around 10 minutes later, it was too late.
The cigarette eventually ignited the boxes, causing a large blaze that resulted in the deaths of Ms Chan, 35-year-old Tan Soon Keong, and his daughter, Tan Hui En.
The father and daughter pair perished from smoke inhalation, while Ms Chan died from severe burns as well as smoke inhalation.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
Here is a timeline of the case.
13 May 2022, 5.20am: Mr Ithnin, the boyfriend of Ms Chan, woke up and took a shower. He was preparing to leave the house and go to work.
Meanwhile, Ms Chan was making his breakfast. While dressing for work, Mr Ithnin lit a cigarette in the master bedroom.
After that, he put on his shoes in the living room, while still smoking.
To put on his shoes, Mr Ithnin placed his lit cigarette on top of a stack of cardboard boxes next to the sofa.
Having finished making his breakfast, Ms Chan came over to pass it to him, and Mr Ithnin left the house without taking his cigarette.
13 May 2022, 5.40am to 5.45am: Mr Ithnin remembered his cigarette.
He sent two voice messages to Ms Chan, asking her to extinguish the cigarette, which by then had been left unattended for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Ms Chan replied at 5.47am saying that she had retrieved the cigarette and thrown it away.
The cigarette would have burned down to the butt with embers falling on the cardboard boxes. The lit tip was touching the cardboard box.
The edge of the box started to smoulder, but one would not have noticed the smoke from the smouldering due to the cigarette smoke.
13 May 2022, before 6.25am: The box burst into flames due to the smoulder. Large billets of smoke filled the flat.
13 May 2022, 6.35am: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a report of a fire at Block 409 Bedok North Avenue 2.
It was during this time that Mr Tan tried to leave through the front door, but the fire became too big.
Mr Tan, his wife Koh Pei Yee, and their daughter became overwhelmed by the smoke and collapsed.
Meanwhile, Ms Chan was severely burnt and died on the spot.
13 May 2022, 6.41am: SCDF firefighters arrived at the fourth-floor unit.
They set to work on extinguishing the blaze.
13 May 2022, 6.55am: Firefighters extinguished the fire.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
Mr Tan and his daughter were taken to hospital but could not be revived.
There were several cardboard boxes and wood pieces in the living room, which would have contributed to the blaze.
The coroner did not suspect foul play, and Ms Chan’s family believed the fire was accidental.
They saw that Mr Ithnin was “very affected” by the tragedy and appeared inconsolable during Ms Chan’s wake.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook.
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