SINGAPORE — A 60-year-old man was found dead in the bedroom of a burning flat in Whampoa in the early hours of Monday (May 6).
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police said they were alerted to a fire at Block 76 Lorong Limau at about 2.30am.
When first responders arrived at the scene, the fire could be seen raging inside a unit on the sixth floor of the Housing Board block.
Firefighters had to forcibly enter the flat, said SCDF in a Facebook post, adding that the blaze affected the whole unit.
Two people were rescued from the utility room in the kitchen area. The women, aged 60 and 77, were conscious when taken to hospital, said the police.
A 60-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic, added the police. He had been found inside one of the bedrooms.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play and investigations are ongoing.
About 200 residents from the surrounding flats were evacuated while SCDF extinguished the blaze.
They have returned home since, said Mr Heng Chee How. He is the Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC and oversees the Whampoa division.
Photos of the aftermath shared by SCDF and Mr Heng showed the charred interior of the flat as well as the ceiling of the common corridor blackened with soot.
Mr Heng said that the fire had engulfed the flat.
“Sad that a senior had lost his life and two family members injured and conveyed to hospital,” he said in a Facebook post.
The community organisations are working with HDB and the town council to render assistance and support to the affected families, Mr Heng added. CNA
