Man stands on ledge to extinguish Kaki Bukit fire, says he was doing what was ‘needed’

Man stands on ledge to extinguish Kaki Bukit fire on 19 Sept

On Thursday (19 Sept), a fire broke out at Synergy @ KB, an industrial building in Kaki Bukit.

While the blaze tragically claimed two lives, a man was hailed for his heroic actions that afternoon.

In clips circulating on social media, he is seen standing on a narrow ledge outside the building, bravely attempting to extinguish the flames.

With his left hand gripping the window ledge, the man directed a water hose toward the fire, which was burning about two units away.

Despite the perilous situation, he appeared calm and composed throughout the ordeal.

Unable to enter ablaze unit as door was closed

In response to queries from 8world News, the man identified himself as Ridwan Ash Siddiq, the owner of a car repair shop located in the same building.

When he and his employees heard an explosion from upstairs, they immediately rushed to the affected unit.

Upon arrival, they discovered that both the front and rear of the unit were engulfed in flames, accompanied by six or seven additional explosions.

Mr Ridwan and his colleagues grabbed a fire hose installed on their floor and attempted to extinguish the blaze.

However, they were unable to enter the unit as its doors were closed at the time.

Noticing heavy smoke billowing from the back, Mr Ridwan made the decision to climb out of a nearby window and direct water towards the affected unit.

He continued this effort for approximately 10 minutes until Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers arrived on the scene.

When asked how he felt while standing on the ledge, Mr Ridwan said he was not afraid and simply wanted to “control the fire”.

However, he expressed feeling “depressed” and guilty upon learning that two individuals had lost their lives in the incident.

They were later discovered in a unit opposite the one that was ablaze.

Felt he was simply doing what was ‘needed’

Mr Ridwan mentioned feeling slightly unwell after climbing back inside, but he recovered after drinking some water.

He did not tell his wife about his actions when he returned home, but she became “very worried” after seeing photos of him standing on the ledge.

In his Facebook post, Mr Ridwan stated that he was merely doing what he felt was “needed” until the SCDF officers arrived.

While he acknowledged the danger of standing on the ledge, he expressed a willingness to take that risk, saying:

At times, we don’t think when it comes to certain situations. My generation takes risks first, not videos first.

MS News has reached out to Mr Ridwan for more information.

Also read: M’sian man who died in Kaki Bukit fire had just reconciled with family after 20-year estrangement

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Featured image adapted from Ridwan Ash-Siddiq on Facebook.