Fire believed to have started in automatic mahjong table in an HDB unit; father unable to rescue trapped children

SINGAPORE: Another fire incident occurred in a four-room unit on the seventh floor of an HDB building located at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, and it was suspected to have started due to an automatic mahjong table. 

Case details revealed that a family of five was living in the unit where the fire broke out. In an interview, the owner of the unit shared that he suspected that the fire started on their automatic mahjong table, which they bought for more than $800 about a year ago. However, the owner admitted that the table was not plugged in or powered by batteries, so investigations are still ongoing into what was really the reason for the fire.

The owner shared that because of the incident, their master bedroom and living room were severely damaged. The estimated renovation period for their unit is said to be four months, and they are hoping to move back before the Chinese New Year celebration. At the moment, the family can only stay in temporary accommodation arranged by the Housing Development Board. 

Unfortunately, two children were trapped in the bedroom when the accident happened, and the father wanted to rush home to rescue them. However, the fire was too big for him to enter. 

Thankfully, the civil defence force arrived at the scene and was able to rescue the children. They were then sent to the hospital to receive medical assistance after smoke inhalation. A firefighter was also sent to the hospital for heat exhaustion after the operation. 

Authorities evacuated about 20 residents of the HDB flat as they completed the operation. 

In similar news,t a woman hallucinated and believed that he was trapped inside an HDB flat. With this, she attempted to set fire to the doorway to have an escape route, which then resulted in a fire.

The 46-year-old suspect pleaded guilty to one count of intentional arson and was sentenced to five to six months’ imprisonment. 

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