Couple who died in Bukit Merah fire moved in only two weeks ago, incident linked to PMD
The man and woman who died after a fire broke out in their Bukit Merah flat were planning to get married next year, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The cause of the blaze was likely a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) in their living room, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Couple had been preparing to start a new life together
Shin Min identified the male deceased as a 34-year-old bouncer named Faizal, while the female deceased, 32, was his fiancée.
They lived in a one-bedroom rental flat belonging to Faizal’s boss, who runs a KTV lounge.
His boss said that he had let the couple stay in the unit temporarily as they did not have a place to live. They moved in just two weeks ago.
A friend who had known Faizal for about five years said he had also worked as a food delivery rider and had been released from prison just over a month ago and was preparing to start a new life.
Family members of the couple told Shin Min that the couple had been dating for about three to four years and had intended to get married next year.
Couple died after being sent to hospital
TikTok footage of the fire, which took place on Wednesday (13 Aug) at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah, showed flames within the fourth-floor unit, smoke emerging from the window, and a woman desperately calling for help.
Though SCDF extinguished the fire, the couple passed away in hospital after being found unresponsive in the unit’s kitchen.
Source: @micky_poh on TikTok
A resident told Shin Min that the female deceased was brought out first with severe burns all over her body.
Paramedics were seen performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on her.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Faizal was in worse condition when he emerged, with the skin on his face almost burnt off, said the resident.
Couple had 11 cats, only one was rescued
The couple were cat lovers and had kept 11 cats, relatives and friends told Shin Min, but only one of them was rescued.
They did not know what had happened to the others.
An orange cat was seen in footage perched on the window ledge.
A resident said they saw a cat running out of the unit and into the staircase.
Another neighbour, unfortunately, saw the carcasses of black and white cats lined up in the void deck, covered by white sheets.
PMD is likely cause of Bukit Merah fire
SCDF, in an update to its Facebook post on Thursday, said the fire could have started from a battery pack of a PMD in the living room, according to preliminary findings.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
It advised the public not to leave batteries or PMDs charging for extended periods or unattended overnight, and to refrain from purchasing or using non-original batteries.
A neighbour told Shin Min that they saw an e-bike in the affected unit and a battery and wires being delivered to the unit days before the incident.
They speculated that Faizal had been studying how to install the battery in his PMD.
Affected residents allowed to return home
In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Radin Mas MP Melvin Yong said SCDF had allowed residents of the surrounding units to return to their homes earlier that afternoon.
Source: Melvin Yong on Facebook
The town council restored electricity to the block on Wednesday evening and is working to repair damaged electrical cables and clean the affected areas.
Source: Melvin Yong on Facebook
Degreasing works will start over the weekend, with painting set to begin next Monday (18 Aug), he added.
He also expressed gladness that most residents had “resumed their daily routine — returning to work and attending school”.
Also read: 2 dead after fire in Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated
2 dead after fire in Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News.
