Tampines fire may be arson, police investigating
By Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : A fire at Block 261, Tampines Street 21, on Monday
could be arson.
Preliminary investigations by the Singapore Civil Defence Force
revealed the fire was no accident and could be a deliberate
act.
The case has been handed over to the police for further
investigations.
National Serviceman Mohd Yunos Mohd Nor, 22, had never imagined he
would one day have to put out a fire in his own house.
The blaze engulfed a children's playground at the void deck and the
unit just above it.
His flat on the third storey was not spared.
As huge bellows of smoke fogged the skies, more than 100 residents
had to be evacuated.
Mohd Yunos braved fire and smoke to rescue a 14-year-old neighbour
from the flat directly above the playground, despite not knowing
his mother's whereabouts.
Twenty-four people suffered smoke inhalation and had to be sent to
three hospitals.
Nuriah Kassim, who was in the vicinity to buy medicine, was shocked
to see the raging fire spreading into her friend's living
room.
Speculation into the cause of the fire was rife - with some
residents suspecting foul play.
Milan N. Mehta, a resident, said: "Usually I see a group of boys
hang around at the playground, using lighters and burning the parts
of the playground, and using candles and burning and destroying the
property."
Nirmal N. Mehta, a resident, said many people were playing with
sparklers during Deepavali and Hari Raya.
Some of the residents in the area complained that having a
children's playground at the void deck is a fire hazard.
They said if a playground is put up, safety precaution like
sprinklers or fire extinguishers should also be installed to
prevent something like this from happening.
This is not the first time a children's playground had caught
fire.
In October last year, a playground in Yishun was engulfed in flames
and was almost razed to the ground.
Anyone with information should call the Police Hotline at 1800-255
0000. - CNA/de
