UPDATE (13 May, 1.30pm): According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), two more people – a three-year-old toddler and a 35-year-old man – have passed away as a result of the fire.
The person who was pronounced dead at the scene was identified as a 56-year-old lady.
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Fires are truly terrifying things. They can happen anywhere and at any moment, destroying everything in their paths, including human life.
On Friday morning (13 May), the SCDF responded to a blaze at an HDB flat on Bedok North Avenue 2.
While they managed to rescue three people, one person was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene. SCDF is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Photos of flames and smoke emerging from a Bedok North HDB unit first emerged on social media on Friday (13 May) morning.
Source: Shahbudi Mohd on Facebook
According to The Straits Times (ST), one person had died in the fire while several others were rescued from the flat.
The SCDF confirmed this in their statement on Facebook, which also contained more details about the incident.
SCDF shared that they were alerted to a fire at Block 409 Bedok North Avenue 2 at about 6.35am.
They successfully put out the fire in the fourth-floor unit with one water jet.
During the operation, SCDF found three people, including a toddler, in the bedroom.
The emergency medical services crew performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on two of the victims. All 3 of them were subsequently conveyed to Changi General Hospital.
A fourth person, who was found in the living room, was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
In addition, SCDF assessed three residents from an adjacent unit for minor injuries. They also evacuated 60 people from neighbouring units as a precautionary measure.
Shin Min Daily News reports that two couples lived in the flat. One of the couples is Malaysian.
In their Facebook post, SCDF described the apartment as having “a vast accumulation of combustible items”. They added that they had to “force their way into the bedroom” due to all the clutter inside.
Images of the aftermath show huge piles of charred items, hinting at how cluttered the place was.
SCDF has issued warnings about keeping too much clutter in one’s home.
Not only is it a potential fire hazard, but it could also hinder firefighters’ rescue efforts by blocking paths. This is something that has tragically happened in the past.
In a Facebook post, East Coast GRC MP Tan Kiat How thanked residents for alerting him to the fire.
He also shared that “a mother and a young toddler” were hospitalised and that grassroots leaders are helping residents who had to temporarily evacuate their homes.
Source: Tan Kiat How on Facebook
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Losing one’s home and belongings is bad enough, but when a loved one passes away as well, it’s all the more devastating.
MS News sends our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. May the victim rest in peace.
In the meantime, perhaps this can be an important reminder to declutter your home to get rid of potential fire risks — better safe than sorry.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook.
The incident was labelled a sudden death.
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