If you’re wondering if there have been any updates regarding the multiple fires that occurred recently across Singapore, here’s an update just for you.
Regarding the fatal fire that occurred at Bedok last Friday (13 May), the police have announced that they have taken the next step in terms of their investigations.
In particular, the police have identified a man who also lived in the three-room Housing Development Board (HDB) flat that caught on fire.
Even though the police did not explicitly disclose his identity, the man is apparently Aileen Chan’s boyfriend according to Lianhe Zaobao. He lived together in the same unit as his girlfriend for ten years.
Based on what one of Chan’s male relatives told Zaobao, the couple, both 56, were together for more than a decade.
He was the first person to leave the unit that day in the early hours of the morning, and hence was not present at home when the fire, which took place at Block 409 Bedok North Avenue 2, broke out.
He has since been brought to the police station for further interrogation in ordr to allow the police to have a better understanding of what could have caused the fire.
Unable to Confirm the Cause of Fire Yet
As mentioned by Zaobao, Chan’s partner had a habit of smoking.
However, there is still insufficient evidence to determine how exactly the fire, which occurred at around 6.35am on 13 May, broke out.
It could have been caused by a man-made influence or other causes, such as those pertaining to the electricity in the house.
As for now, investigations are still going on.
Individuals Involved in the Fire
The fire claimed the lives of Chan, an actress who beat cancer in the past, as well as a 35-year-old Malaysian man and his 3-year-old daughter.
The latter two were Chan’s tenants who rented a room from her.
Another 34-year-old woman, believed to be the mother of the toddler, was sent to Changi General Hospital. She was initially in critical condition, but her condition stabilised on 16 May. She is still unconscious and going through treatment.
Chan was pronounced dead when the paramedics arrived at the fourth-storey unit while the man and toddler later died in hospital.
When the paramedics reached the scene, Chan was found in the living room while her tenants were found in the bedroom. All four people were unconscious by then.
According to the Facebook post that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) uploaded on their account, there was a large amount of clutter within the flat, which made it more difficult to rescue the family of three. SCDF personnel had to break the bedroom door to reach the trio.
Neighbours Affected by Incident
There were also three other neighbours who inhaled smoke, but were not affected greatly and declined to be sent to hospital.
60 people in total were evacuated from their homes as a safety precaution.
According to East Coast GRC MP Tan Kiat How, temporary living arrangements have been made for residents whose houses were significantly damaged by the fire.
MP Tan also shared that some residents in the area were still affected by the incident and urged them to seek help from the grassroots leaders if needed.
“Several residents were still shaken by the incident. Some of them had trouble sleeping as they kept having flashbacks of the fire and trying to evacuate through the thick, billowing smoke. Some of them were still feeling the effects of the smoke with sore throat and breathlessness,” he wrote.
“Residents that I spoke to were also deeply saddened by the three deaths from the fire. They teared up when they spoke to me about them. This was a tightly knit community and they knew the families who have been living in this block for a number of years. Our thoughts are with the mother who is still in critical condition. I share their grief and assured them that we will do our best to help.”
Chan’s family carried out a sea burial ceremony for her yesterday (18 May) morning and scattered her ashes in the sea area near Changi.
Chan’s boyfriend was on the boat as well and was inconsolable when he scattered his partner’s ashes into the sea.
The sister-in-law of the deceased 35-year-old Malaysian also posted a tribute on Facebook, expressing grief over the loss of her brother-in-law and young niece.
In the post, she wrote that no one thought that a fire would take the lives of him and his daughter, and that they would never get another chance to see him laugh again.
She also mentioned that he would treat his entire family back in Malaysia to a good meal whenever he returned to his hometown.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was unable to return to Malaysia for two years. He was only able to reunite with his family in mid-December last year.
He also brought his daughter back to Malaysia for Mother’s Day earlier this month, and it unfortunately became the last time he got to get together with his family.
Featured Image: Facebook (Singapore Civil Defence Force)