Three dead in fire at Bedok North Avenue 2 HDB block: report
UPDATE: Three residents have died in the fire, according to The Straits Times.
SINGAPORE — Three residents died in a fire at Block 409 Bedok North Avenue 2 early on Friday morning (13 May).
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the fire at about 6.35am, with the first resources arriving in six minutes.
"The fire involved the contents of a living room in a unit on the 4th floor. SCDF extinguished the fire with one water jet," it said in its post.
"During the firefighting operation, SCDF found four unconscious persons in the unit amidst a vast accumulation of combustible items. Three persons, including a toddler, were found in the bedroom while one person was found in the living room."
SCDF said that the person found in the living room - a 56-year-old woman - was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
Two of the other three victims were given Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) by SCDF's emergency medical services crew, before all three were conveyed to Changi General Hospital.
Later on Friday, The Straits Times reported East Coast GRC Member of Parliament Tan Kiat How as saying that three of the residents have died, while a fourth person remains in critical condition in the hospital.
He declined to provide more details out of consideration for the family affected.
CNA reported that the toddler and a 35-year-old man had died due to their injuries, while a 34-year-old woman remains in hospital.
Due to the clutter in the bedroom, SCDF said that the firefighters had to force their way into the bedroom to conduct the rescue operation.
It also forcibly entered an adjacent unit and rescued three other persons. They were assessed for minor injuries and subsequently refused conveyance to the hospital. A total of 60 persons were evacuated from neighbouring units as a precautionary measure.
The cause of fire is under investigation.
Tan said in a Facebook post on Friday morning that grassroots leaders are helping families who have asked to temporarily evacuate. They have opened up the rooms at the Heartbeat@Bedok community hub to hold the evacuated residents.
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