In the event of a fire, our first instinct would be to escape to safety — sometimes even if that means getting injured in the process.
On Sunday (19 Dec), a man bravely escaped from a burning 2nd-room flat in Yishun by jumping through one of the windows.
The man sustained injuries and was later conveyed to the nearby Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
On Sunday (19 Dec) at about 1.50pm, a fire broke out in a 2nd-storey flat at Block 512 Yishun Street 51.
As the fire grew, the man in the affected unit was seen dangling outside his window, reported The Straits Times (ST).
Hearing his cries for help, a cleaner tried to break his fall by pushing a discarded sofa beneath the window.
However, by the time he moved the sofa, the man had already fallen to the ground.
According to Shin Min Daily News, residents later saw the man, who was shirtless, lying on the grass and howling in pain.
While complaining of pain in his neck and waist, the man remained conscious. A resident later lent him their phone to call his friends.
He was later seen lying on the sofa while awaiting help.
About 5 minutes later, the police and the SCDF arrived at the scene.
The SCDF then promptly used a water jet and a fire hose to extinguish the fire.
They also conveyed the man, who was injured, to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
SCDF shared that the fire involved the contents of the kitchen and they are investigating the cause of the fire. It is suspected that the fire was caused by an e-scooter.
Prior to SCDF’s arrival, about 50 residents had already self-evacuated.
After the fire, all 12 storeys above the flat had charred markings as a result of the fire, reported ST.
The unit itself appeared completely blackened and covered in soot.
A day after the fire on Monday (20 Dec), 7 of the injured man’s friends spent about 8 hours cleaning his 3-room flat.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the man had injured his spine and underwent surgery on 20 Dec.
He is currently still hospitalised but fortunately is in a stable condition.
It is certainly a tough choice to make whether to jump when one is trapped in a burning flat.
We’re glad that in spite of all that happened, the man survived and is on the road to recovery.
MS News wishes him a speedy recovery ahead.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
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