An 88-year-old man has died following a residential fire at a Housing Board flat in Farrer Park that left five people trapped inside the unit on Monday evening.
The blaze broke out at a fifth-floor flat along Race Course Road, prompting a large emergency response from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Four other occupants were also rescued and taken to hospital after the incident.
Authorities said the elderly man later succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Wednesday, two days after the fire.
Fire broke out in fifth-floor bedroom
The SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at around 7.10pm on 3 August. Upon arrival, firefighters found a bedroom in a fifth-floor unit of Block 684 Race Course Road engulfed in flames.
Firefighters quickly began firefighting operations and managed to contain the blaze using a water jet, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring flats.
Videos shared online showed thick black smoke billowing from the flat and filling the open courtyard below. Bright flames could also be seen shooting from the unit’s windows as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
Police officers and firefighters were filmed moving swiftly through the corridors while carrying out rescue operations and evacuating nearby residents.
Five occupants rescued from smoke-filled flat
According to the police, officers from Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre were among the first responders to arrive.
After discovering that several people were trapped inside the locked flat, officers forced entry into the unit and successfully rescued a woman before handing her over to medical personnel.
SCDF firefighters subsequently rescued the remaining four occupants from inside the smoke-filled home.
In total, about 50 residents from the block were evacuated as a precaution while firefighters battled the blaze.
The five rescued occupants ranged in age from 55 to 88 years old.
Three victims found unconscious
Emergency responders found three of the five rescued occupants unconscious during the operation, including the woman rescued by police and the 88-year-old man.
All five victims were transported to hospital for treatment. Three were taken to Singapore General Hospital, while the remaining two were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Despite medical efforts, the elderly man later died from his injuries on Wednesday.
The condition of the other four occupants has not been publicly disclosed, although they remain hospitalised.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the authorities.
MP says affected family will receive temporary housing
Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua expressed her condolences to the deceased’s family in a Facebook post following the tragedy.
She said the remaining family members would require more time before they are well enough to be discharged from hospital.
The MP also commended the police and SCDF for containing the fire within the affected unit, helping to prevent a larger incident.
As the damaged flat will require restoration works, the Housing & Development Board has identified a rental flat to temporarily house the affected family.
Staff from the Community Development Council and People’s Association are assisting with furnishing the temporary accommodation while the family recovers from the incident.