SINGAPORE: One child has died and 18 people have been injured after a fire broke out at a shophouse in River Valley Road on Tuesday (April 8) morning.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a statement on Facebook that it was alerted to a fire at 278 River Valley Road at about 9.45am.
A check by The Straits Times shows that this is the listed address of Tomato Cooking School, which runs cooking lessons and camps for children.
A total of 15 children and four adults were taken to the hospital, SCDF said. ST understands that one child has died.
When SCDF officers arrived at the scene, a fire was raging on the second and third floors of the three-storey shophouse, the statement said.
“Members of the public, including construction workers, used a metal scaffolding and a ladder to reach those stranded and brought a number of them to safety,” SCDF added.
SCDF officers deployed ladders to rescue those stranded on the ledge, while firefighters proceeded to the second and third floors.
The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes using three water jets.
About 80 people from the affected shophouse and nearby premises were evacuated.
In a video posted on Facebook at about 10am, thick black smoke is seen billowing from the windows of the third floor of the building.
A few people wearing high-visibility vests can be seen on a scaffolding reaching out to help those sitting on a ledge below the windows.
In another video, more than 10 people, including some who appear to be children, are seen sitting on the ledge. A few of them are seen being carried down to safety by the men on the scaffolding.
When ST arrived at the scene at around 10.50am, there were several police vehicles, four fire engines and a number of ambulances.
The road was cordoned off by the police, though onlookers had gathered around.
Speaking to ST, witnesses said there were as many as five people still inside the burning unit before SCDF officers entered the premises to rescue them.
Shaik Amirudin, who owns the nearby Flex Fitness studio, said he heard a loud noise before a client who was leaving the studio told him about the smoke. He quickly evacuated the premises with the rest of his clients.
Seeing the children and their teachers on the building ledge, he rushed over to help and held on to the scaffolding as construction workers tried to rescue them.
“The construction workers and first responders sprung into action,” said the 31-year-old.
“It was like a scene out of a war zone,” he added.
“There was a woman who appeared dazed, with soot on her face, shouting that there were still five children inside.”
He said that he later saw multiple children, who were motionless, being carried out of the premises by SCDF officers.
Saran, a 33-year-old construction worker, said he and other workers ran over when they saw the smoke.
“I was scared – many children were inside the unit and crying. I saw we had the scaffolding, which was something that could help,” he said, adding that they rescued about 10 children.
Another construction worker, Kannanthasan, 30, said he climbed the scaffolding to rescue the children and teachers, shortly before SCDF officers arrived.
“We would like to thank the members of the public who assisted in the rescue of the stranded persons for their quick action and bravery,” SCDF said in its Facebook post.
The Straits Times has contacted the police for more information.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. - The Straits Times/ANN
