A Telok Blangah flat became the stage for a disastrous fire last January, resulting in the unfortunate death of a helper who was staying upstairs.
While the origin of the fire remains shrouded in uncertainty, whispers of it starting as a mere prank circulated around. However, over 1.5 years after the heart-wrenching tragedy, new revelations have since emerged, shedding light on the harrowing sequence of events.
Wanted to get rid of bed bugs
Earlier today (August 16th), 73-year-old Chia Gek Yong confessed, admitting to his role in the devastating incident.
According to The Straits Times, the elderly man admitted to setting his mattress on fire to kill some bedbugs, resulting in the flat being set ablaze after the fire had spread and killing a maid who was living above him.
Chia’s motivations for his seemingly unthinkable action were as bizarre as they were ill-conceived. In a peculiar twist, he claimed to have been driven by a desperate attempt to rid his mattress of the notorious “bedbug” menace.
At approximately 4 am, in the solace of his 10th-floor apartment, Chia was rudely awakened by an imagined sight of these pests.
In his bid to eliminate them, he wielded cans of insecticide, convinced that it would vanquish the unwelcome intruders.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, Chia’s perception was skewed. Believing that his mattress was still infested, he resorted to an unthinkable act – igniting the mattress itself in a desperate bid to exterminate the invisible menace.
Escalation of Tragedy
Tragedy knows no bounds, and in the aftermath of Chia’s reckless act, the situation rapidly spiraled out of control.
The flames, initially confined to the confines of the mattress, soon spread to the surrounding environment. Chia’s attempts to douse the growing fire proved useless as he tried to put the fire out with a few water bottles.
As desperation took hold, Chia took a drastic step – he fled the scene, abandoning his flat and leaving four fellow occupants behind, trapped in the grip of a menacing blaze.
Yet, amidst the chaos and billowing smoke, fate intervened mercifully. The acrid smell of smoke roused the other inhabitants, awakening them to the impending danger.
All four managed to escape the engulfing tendrils of smoke, narrowly evading the clutches of a merciless fate.
The Upstairs Tragedy
While the occupants of the 10th-floor unit managed to avert disaster, the same could not be said for the residents above.
The intensifying fire unleashed a torrent of smoke that seeped insidiously into the upper floor. Amidst the chaos, a harrowing discovery was made – 48-year-old Koimatun Achmad Ali, the helper residing upstairs, was found unconscious.
Koimatun Achmad Ali’s plight was dire. Overwhelmed by the thickening smoke and struggling to breathe, she was rushed to the hospital.
Tragically, despite the best efforts of medical professionals, she succumbed to smoke inhalation and died.
Unveiling a Troubled Mind
Reports indicated that the 73-year-old suffered from a history of bipolar disorder, and was suffering from a relapse during the incident when he experienced hallucinations.
He is set to be sentenced in September after being assessed if he is suitable for a mandatory treatment order.