Boy, 9, saves brother, 3, after younger sibling purportedly started fire in Bukit Merah flat

A nine-year-old boy saved his three-year-old brother from a fire, after the younger sibling allegedly started a blaze in his Bukit Merah flat bedroom on Sep. 10.

The fire resulted in six people being taken to hospital and the evacuation of 35 residents by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SDCF).

Boys' father: Younger son was likely playing with lighter

According to the boys' father, surnamed Liu (transliteration from Mandarin), the fire was likely caused by his younger son playing with a lighter, Shin Min Daily News reported.

When his older son saw the mattress in flames, he immediately took his brother out of the flat and called the SCDF.

Parents were working, caretaker was not home

Liu added that on the day of the fire, he and his wife were not at home as they had to work.

His wife had asked a friend to go over and help care for the children for about six hours, until 2pm when Liu's wife would have returned home.

Both of the children were on two days of sick leave as they had been running a fever and coughing the previous day.

However, at the time of the fire, Liu claimed that his wife's friend was not in the house for reasons unknown and said the nanny should have taken his younger son out of the house with her.

Family currently living in temporary residence

Liu added that his family are currently in a difficult situation, having lost all of their belongings in the fire.

According to Liu, he is a cleaner, while his wife is a canteen stall assistant and their combined monthly income is about S$2,000.

It is difficult for them to purchase electrical appliances, furniture and daily necessities.

In addition, when his 11-year-old daughter returned home from school in the evening at about 6pm, she burst into tears upon seeing the flat.

She had lost her clothes, belongings and computer, which she used for school.

Liu added that the family can only wash the items that are still usable, while slowly buying the other items that they have lost.

Photos by the SCDF showed the charred remains of the room, along with extensive damage to the bedroom's door and what appeared to be brickwork exposed by the fire.

The rest of the unit sustained heat and smoke damage.

One of the neighbours who was evacuated said she had heard explosions at the time of the fire and that the police had evacuated the other residents.

The police also assisted in evacuating residents with mobility issues.

The fire was eventually extinguished with a water jet.

Its cause is under investigation.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News