Hougang PMD fire: Woman tosses child to husband who jumped out of window to save them
She was then trapped in the kitchen and rescued by SCDF firefighters.
By
Hannah Martens
August 16, 2024, 05:11 PM
To escape from their burning flat, a man jumped out of the second-floor window.
According to Shin Min Daily News, his wife then threw their child down to him.
The wife was then trapped in the kitchen.
The fire broke out at Block 313 Hougang Avenue 5 in the living room of the second-floor unit on Aug. 16 at 12:50am.
What witnesses saw
A male resident of the same block on the seventh floor told Shin Min that he immediately went downstairs after someone yelled, "Fire."
When he went down, he saw the man in white lying on the ground and one of his ankles was apparently injured, so he could not move.
Residents heard the man screaming and calling for help, "There's still someone inside!"
In a video provided to Shin Min Daily News by a member of the public, a man in white could be seen lying on the floor.
Screenshot via Shin Min Daily News/Facebook
Jumped out first
Shin Min reported that after the fire broke out, a family of three was trapped in the unit.
According to Shin Min, the man jumped out of the kitchen window first before his wife threw their son down for the man to catch.
The wife remained in the flat.
Firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SDCF) arrived soon after.
Woman rescued
SCDF said that when firefighters reached the unit, one person was found trapped inside.
They forced their entry through the front door and entered the smoke-logged unit.
The person was found by a team of firefighters in the kitchen and was brought to safety.
The fire was extinguished with a water jet, and the living room sustained damage while the rest of the unit suffered heat and soot damage.
SCDF paramedics assessed four people, two of whom were sent to Singapore General Hospital and another to Changi General Hospital.
One person declined to be sent to the hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire likely started from a Personal Mobility Device in the living room.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Kid doing fine, father needs surgery for both legs
A relative of the family told Mothership that the man had to undergo surgery for both his legs.
The woman and the couple's child, a daughter, are doing fine.
Top photos via Shin Min Daily News/Facebook & SCDF/Facebook
