Source: Shin Min Daily News
At 11.20am on Tuesday (10 Sept), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to a fire at a Jalan Bukit Merah HDB unit.
71-year-old Mr Liu (transliterated), along with his wife and three children, had lived in the one-bedroom unit on the ninth floor of Block 104 for the past six or seven years.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
According to Shin Min Daily News, on that day, Mr Liu and his wife were at work while their two sons, aged three and nine, remained at home due to illness.
Their mother had arranged for a friend to supervise the children at their home for six hours until her return in the afternoon.
However, Mr Liu claimed that the friend left the children unattended in the unit at the time of the incident for unknown reasons.
He alleged that the three-year-old started the fire by igniting a mattress with a lighter in the bedroom around 11.20am.
The SCDF confirmed that the fire originated in the bedroom.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
Mr Liu told Shin Min Daily News that his older son, who was engrossed in mobile games, likely did not notice his younger brother playing with fire.
Nevertheless, upon realising the fire, the boy quickly took his younger brother to safety and called the SCDF to report the blaze.
SCDF firefighters swiftly extinguished the blaze with a water jet.
The fire caused extensive damage to the unit and blackened the corridor and exterior walls up to the 12th floor.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
About 35 residents were evacuated by the police.
One resident reported that the smoke was so dense in the corridor that visibility was nearly impossible.
She also noted that many of the neighbours were elderly and had mobility challenges.
The resident witnessed a police officer carrying an elderly woman downstairs to safety, while other officers assisted a wheelchair-bound resident.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
The SCDF also conveyed six residents from neighbouring units to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Mr Liu rushed back around noon upon learning of the fire, only to find his home completely destroyed.
Authorities have arranged temporary accommodation for the family in the aftermath.
Mr Liu, a cleaner, and his wife, an assistant at a food stall, have a combined income of just over S$2,000.
They now face the daunting challenge of replacing lost electronics, furniture, and other household items, all while providing for their three children.
Their 11-year-old daughter returned home around 6pm to discover the flat in ruins.
Her clothes, computer, and personal belongings were all destroyed in the fire, leading her to break down in tears.
Despite the profound losses and the difficult road ahead, Mr Liu emphasised that the safety of his two sons was the most important thing.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
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