SINGAPORE (CNA) – Three people, including a three-year-old, have died after a fire broke out in a fourth-floor Housing Board (HDB) flat in Bedok, Singapore yesterday.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at Block 409 Bedok North Avenue 2 at about 6.35am.
Four people were found unconscious in the unit, which had a “vast accumulation of combustible items”, said SCDF.
A 56-year-old woman was found in the living room, while three others – a 35-year-old man, a 34-year-old woman and the child – were in the bedroom.
The woman in the living room was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
The 35-year-old man and the toddler died in hospital, said the Singapore Police Force yesterday, adding that police investigations are ongoing.
Sixty people were evacuated from neighbouring units as a precautionary measure, said SCDF.
SCDF said earlier that cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed on two of the three people found in the bedroom. All three were taken to Changi General Hospital.
“Due to the clutter in the bedroom, firefighters had to force their way into the bedroom to conduct the rescue operation,” it added.
SCDF also forced their way into an adjacent resident unit and rescued three people, who had minor injuries and did not want to be taken to the hospital.
When CNA was on the fourth floor at around 2.50pm, town council cleaners were at the affected flats to clear the debris.
Blackened door grilles and furnishings in the corridors were being moved away.
Residents were waiting at the lift landing to return to their homes. They declined to comment.
Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC Tan Kiat How said that almost all residents had returned to their flats by mid-day after SCDF inspected the block and gave the all-clear.
“Some of them are still shaken but are coping well,” Tan said in a Facebook post yesterday.
He said his team was closely monitoring the condition of a person who was brought to the hospital and that support would be provided to the family.
“My volunteers and I are helping residents of affected units, including cleaning their homes and arranging for temporary accommodations if needed,” he said. “ECTC (East Coast Town Council) and its contractors are working hard to fix electrical wires affected by the fire and also clean up corridors and common areas.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF.
