1 child killed after fire breaks out along River Valley Road, construction workers & public help rescue children from burning building

Fire breaks out along River Valley Road, construction workers help safely ferry children down

Update: A child has reportedly died after a fire broke out at 278 River Valley Road, engulfing the second and third floors of a three-storey shophouse occupied by the education centre Orange Mood Group on Tuesday (8 April) morning.

Thick plumes of smoke poured from the windows, drawing a crowd of concerned onlookers as adults and children scrambled to evacuate.

Source: TikTok

Some were even seen perched anxiously on a ledge outside the third-floor unit, waiting desperately for help.

A live TikTok video of the incident showed three fire trucks spotted at the scene to fight the fire.

Construction workers & public step in to help

While waiting for official rescue teams, a group of construction workers and members of the public didn’t hesitate to step in.

Image courtesy of an MS News reader

In photos shared with MS News, the workers were seen forming a human chain using a construction ladder and a metal scaffolding, bravely ferrying those trapped inside to safety.

A woman in black, likely a staff member of the education centre, was spotted carefully bringing a child out of the window to keep them safe from the flames and smoke building up inside the building.

Source: Facebook

A video of the incident, posted on Facebook, showed the children slowly climbing down the makeshift ladder outside the building.

The construction workers and members of the public coordinated swiftly, making sure the children climb down safely and at times, carrying them down to the next person in the human chain.

More people stood at the base of the ladder, arms outstretched, making sure each child landed safely.

Fire extinguished within 30 minutes, 19 sent to hospital

As of now, the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

According to a statement by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), they were alerted to the fire at 9.45am.

The fire reportedly engulfed the second and third floors of the shophouse.

Upon arrival, SCDF saw members of the public and construction workers bringing a number of stranded victims who were perched on the ledge to safety.

Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook

“SCDF immediately deployed rescue ladders and a Combined Platform Ladder to rescue the rest of the stranded persons on the ledge,” SCDF reported.

Firefighters then proceeded to fight the fire using three water jets. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes.

Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook

About 80 persons from the shophouse and nearby premises were evacuated by the police and SCDF.

There were a total of 19 casualties — four adults and 15 children. All were conveyed to the hospital.

“We would like to thank the members of the public who assisted in the rescue of the stranded persons for their quick actions and bravery.”

MS News has reached out to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for more details regarding the incident.

Also read: Fire breaks out at KTV lounge in Bugis Cube mall, some shops forced to close

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Featured image adapted from MS News and TikTok.