Singapore – On July 18 (Thursday) a fire broke out in an HDB flat at Bukit Batok. Three people were rescued and rushed to the hospital while around 70 residents were evacuated from the premises.
The fire, according to Member of Parliament, Murali Pillai, was caused by e-scooters left charging and unattended in the unit.
Read related: E-scooters left on charge mode causes fire in Bukit Batok flat
On July 20 (Saturday), one of the rescued residents passed away at the hospital.
According to a report by The Straits Times, the 40-year-old man and his wife, identified as Sam and Hui Xin, initially escaped the fire by climbing their air-conditioner ledge.
However, the man rushed back into the burning unit to save their dog and parrot.
He eventually fell unconscious near the toilet where he was found by firefighters.
The man was initially sent to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital but was transferred to Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) intensive care unit where he was found to have suffered third-degree burns on 40 per cent of his body.
He was also in a coma and, unfortunately, did not recover from the injuries.
Residents shared that the couple had no children.
They also noted how the man was a friendly and cheerful neighbour and that he loved animals and had kept several parrots before.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Saturday that preliminary investigations have shown that the fire was accidental in nature although linked to the three burnt personal mobility devices found in the unit.
The SCDF added that fires caused by PMDs are on the rise.
There were 74 PMD-related fires in 2018 alone, which was a 51 per cent increase from 2017.
It is advised not to leave a PMD unattended while charging to ensure everyone’s safety. -/TISG