We are sorry for your loss, says family in Henderson Rd flat blaze to NSF firefighter’s loved ones

[The_King]

 

 

SINGAPORE – The family living in the flat that caught fire at Block 91 Henderson Road has offered its condolences to the family of a firefighter who died while putting out the blaze on Thursday.

Mr Muhammad Azri Ramlan, 21, who was in the unit when the fire broke out, said on Friday as he held back tears: “It is very sad to know of his death. On behalf of my family, I would like to say sorry to his family for their loss. 

“They have a great son – he was an NSF (full-time national serviceman), like me – and he put his life at risk to save others.” 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Thursday that it was alerted to the fire at about 11.10am. It added that when SCDF arrived at the scene, the fire was raging inside the unit and the corridor was filled with smoke.

Firefighters, donning breathing apparatus, had to force their way into the affected fourth-floor unit of the block in Bukit Merah. 

A 19-year-old NSF firefighter died at the Singapore General Hospital after he fell unconscious when putting out the fire. 

 

The SCDF said he fell unconscious in the kitchen area of the flat. Investigations are ongoing.

The corridor outside the flat that caught fire was charred, and its floor damp, when The Straits Times visited on Friday morning. 

Workers were fixing the wiring hanging outside the units along the corridor. Several SCDF officers appeared to be inspecting the unit, while others wheeled away large waste bins filled with burnt debris. 

According to Mr Azri, seven people lived in the two-room rental flat – Mr Azri and his wife Sri Ayshah Putri Jamari, their seven month-old baby, Ms Ayshah’s 13-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother, as well as Ms Ayshah’s parents.

 

Only Mr Azri, Ms Ayshah and her sister were in the flat when the fire broke out – her parents were at work and her brother was not at home, while their baby was at an infant care centre.

Mr Azri said he and Ms Ayshah were sleeping in the bedroom of their flat on Thursday morning when they were roused by the strong smell of smoke.

He woke up to find the room quickly being enveloped by bright orange flames, and rushed out of the flat with his wife and her sister.

SPH Brightcove Video

“We were at the front gate when we realised we didn’t have a key, so I went back inside the room to (get mine). Then we ran out, told our neighbours that the house was on fire, and I called the police,” said Mr Azri, who spoke to ST in a flat on the 10th floor of the same block.

The family was moved into the flat on Thursday night following the fire.

“It was a traumatic experience. The heat was unbearable, and the smell of smoke is still fresh in my mind. Luckily, our baby was not at home,” added Mr Azri, who was on medical leave from his national service as he had a fever from a booster jab. 

He is currently waiting for his national service posting.

The corridor outside the flat that caught fire was charred, and its floor damp, when ST visited on Friday morning. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

SCDF vehicles at Block 91 Henderson Road on Thursday. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Student Noor Shahefan, 18, and his nine-year-old sister were using their mobile phones at home – one of the units on the fourth floor – when the fire happened.

He opened the main door upon smelling smoke and saw thick fumes billowing in from the corridor.

Realising there was a fire, he asked his sister to wait in the toilet as he covered the gap under the door with a damp cloth.

Mr Shahefan said: “It was my first time experiencing a fire in real life... I also feel sad (for the firefighter who died). My prayers are with him and his family.”

Mr Azri and his family returned home on Friday morning to salvage whatever they could.

He said: “I only managed to take my baby’s pram. The rest of the items, including my important documents and our marriage certificate, are all lost.” 

Firefighters had to force their way into the affected unit. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

SCDF was alerted to the fire at about 11.10am on Thursday. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

His father-in-law Jamari Yatno was visibly upset and in tears when ST visited their temporary home on Friday.

ST understands that six households on the fourth floor, including Mr Azri’s and Mr Shahefan’s, have temporarily moved to other vacant units in the same block or nearby, while clean-up and repair works take place. 

Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Joan Pereira, who oversees the Henderson-Dawson ward, visited residents in the block, along with constituency director Wee Soh Hong, on Friday.

Community and grassroots volunteers also helped to provide items such as mattresses and food to the households that had moved into temporary shelter. 

[The_King]

The mother of the 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF) firefighter who died on Dec. 8 in the line of duty has identified her son's body.

 

 

Shin Min Daily News reported that the deceased's mother, dressed in white, was seen at about 10am on Dec. 9 to identify the body.

She was reportedly accompanied by SCDF personnel and stayed in the autopsy room for about 30 minutes.

When she walked out, she was reported to have tears in her eyes.

Approached by reporters, the mother expressed her sadness and said she was "heartbroken".

The family living in the flat that caught fire has since apologised after finding out that a firefighter died while putting out the blaze, according to The Straits Times.

There were seven occupants in the flat: A pair of adults and their seven month-old baby, the parents of the mother, as well as the 13-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother of the mother of the baby.

Only two people were in the flat at the time of the blaze: The baby's mother and the 13-year-old girl.

 

Background

 

The 19-year-old SCDF NSF personnel fell unconscious while putting out a fire at a Henderson Road Housing Board flat on Dec. 8.

SCDF said it was called to attend to the fire at Block 91 Henderson Road at about 11.10am.

The civil defence personnel passed out in the kitchen while fighting the fire.

The fallen firefighter was brought out of the unit by his crew and administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

An SCDF ambulance crew at the scene used the automated external defibrillator on the NSF and conveyed him to Singapore General Hospital.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Investigations are ongoing.

[The_King]

RIP: i already say when i was nsf i put in the min effort. pay me $380 or $340 want me to work like a  bull. NO WAY. i spend my 2 yr have over 10 medical appt card in short every 1 or 2 week i will go see hospital see doc

[Huat Zai]

1 hour ago, The_King said:

RIP: i already say when i was nsf i put in the min effort. pay me $380 or $340 want me to work like a  bull. NO WAY. i spend my 2 yr have over 10 medical appt card in short every 1 or 2 week i will go see hospital see doc

Moi wish I had that insight during my time, I was

 

[The_King]

1 hour ago, Huat Zai said:

Moi wish I had that insight during my time, I was

 

ppl ord, i ROD cause during FFI, i was downgrade again to E1 L9

 

enter ns as pes BP, then see plenty of specialist then finally  downgrade to PES C. then keep going for my specialist  and see even more specialist and during ffi was finally downgraded again by medical board to E1 L9

 

hahahahahahaha

Edited December 9, 2022 by The_King

[The_King]

1 hour ago, The_King said:

ppl ord, i ROD cause during FFI, i was downgrade again to E1 L9

 

enter ns as pes BP, then see plenty of specialist then finally  downgrade to PES C. then keep going for my specialist  and see even more specialist and during ffi was finally downgraded again by medical board to E1 L9

 

hahahahahahaha

Do i regret it?

 

my only regret is that i get to do it once only

[Londonchocolateroll]

On 12/9/2022 at 9:45 PM, Huat Zai said:

Moi wish I had that insight during my time, I was

 

 

Now we know who Winnie learned it from and used it on Trudeau