Singapore – An 85-year-old woman living in Block 119 Bukit Merah View has denied allegations that she used firewood to cook dumplings in her flat after receiving complaints from the neighbours regarding the smell.
The elderly woman noted that she had not made any dumplings recently since she cannot sell them at the moment, reported Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao on Sunday (June 13).
The woman also denied claims from her neighbour of smoke in her flat, adding that the smell came from other households burning joss paper.
The neighbour shared with Zaobao that for the past 12 years or so, thick smoke would come out from the woman’s flat during the Dragon Boat Festival period. As a result, their corridor would fill with the smell of smoke.
It was also alleged that the dumplings were left to simmer for over five hours.
Upon investigation, it was found the woman had used firewood to cook her dumplings, the neighbour said.
“It is really intolerable; the smell of smoke that drifts into the house is suffocating. But if I close the window, it becomes stuffy,” he added.
The suspected firewood also highlights a concern about fire safety, with the neighbour noting the woman was often alone at home.
Should a fire break out and her neighbours aren’t nearby, no one would be available to assist the woman, said the neighbour.
Another resident confirmed the smell of firewood drifting in the air, making him suspect a fire had broken out.
The neighbour did add that the smoke had not been as thick recently due to a supposed drop in orders amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The woman’s children had “explained the situation” to her neighbour several times, noting they were “very polite.”
However, the neighbour said the woman also refused to listen to her children regarding the issue./TISG
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