‘You will achieve good things’: Man, 68, who perished in Lorong Lew Lian flat fire praised neighbour’s son hours before blaze
Just hours before he died in a fire at his Lorong Lew Lian flat, a 68-year-old man told his neighbour’s 10-year-old son: “You be a good boy, and you will achieve good things in your life.”
According to Shin Min Daily News, the man was known to light candles at home and often hoarded items in his flat.
The fatal fire broke out at around 2.45pm on Sept 1 at a third-storey unit in Block 8, Lorong Lew Lian.
A neighbour who stays on the same floor, Siti Aisyah Abdul Rahman, a 46-year-old customer service officer, said her 72-year-old mother, Zaitun Idris, noticed thick smoke filling the corridor and immediately called for help.
“My mother has asthma and could only make it to the staircase. A neighbour eventually helped her down the stairs,” she said.
Man would apologise to neighbours for moving items around at night
Aisyah said she understood that the man had a wife and three daughters. About two years ago, he had a disagreement with his wife, and she subsequently moved in with one of their children.
The man’s behaviour reportedly changed after that, and he began hoarding items at home.
Aisyah said she would sometimes notice that the unit was dark when she walked past. The man would often light candles inside the flat and would occasionally move items around in the middle of the night.
However, she said he would apologise whenever she spoke to him about it.
Aisyah said she had a close, almost father-daughter relationship with the man.
‘You be a good boy’: Deceased’s last words to neighbour’s son
At around 6am on Sept 1, Aisyah was taking her 10-year-old son to school when she saw the man arranging items along the corridor.
He told her son: “You be a good boy, and you will achieve good things in your life.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she told reporters she was heartbroken by her neighbour’s sudden death. She added that his wife was also shocked upon hearing the news.
When reporters returned to the unit on the morning of Sept 2, a strong burning smell lingered in the air as workers cleared out the flat.
The unit was observed to be filled with items, leaving little room to move around.
Fire involved items in living room: SCDF
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) posted about the fire in a social media post on Sept 1.
The fire involved items in the living room and was extinguished using a water jet.
During the firefighting operation, SCDF personnel found an unconscious person in the living room. Firefighters carried the person out of the unit and immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The person was subsequently taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he later died.
SCDF said another person suffered from smoke inhalation, while two others had breathlessness. According to the police, the women, aged between 51 and 94, were conveyed conscious to the hospital.
About 30 people were evacuated from the block.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police said they do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing.
Firefighter carries elderly woman downstairs
When Shin Min arrived at the scene on Sept 1, a woman, Madam Huang (transliterated), who lives next to the affected unit, was sitting downstairs as several volunteers checked on her.
The 94-year-old woman said she saw thick smoke and hurried out of her flat with her walking stick, leaving her shoes, hearing aid, and keys behind in the rush.
As the affected unit was near the lift, she could only make her way to the staircase, where a firefighter carried her downstairs.
Although Madam Huang repeatedly said she was fine, she later felt tightness in her chest. After volunteers encouraged her to seek medical attention, she agreed to go to the hospital for a check-up.
Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP Seah Kian Peng visited the scene after being informed of the incident and comforted the elderly woman.
In a Facebook post, he said it was “unfortunate” and “sad” that the occupant did not survive the fire.
“I have known him for many years now and in fact, last saw him not so long ago. As he has been a resident here for many years and is by nature a friendly person, he will be missed,” Seah wrote.
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