Mum of child, 10, who died in River Valley shophouse fire claims cooking school didn't offer apology or explanation

The cooking school at the River Valley Road shophouse which caught fire on Apr. 8 has allegedly not offered its condolences over the incident, according to the mother of the girl who died.

The girl, aged 10, was identified as Ji Yinan (transliteration).

Cooking school reportedly didn't apologise to parents

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, the 34-year-old mother of the girl said she found Tomato Cooking School's actions in the aftermath of the incident to be "cold" and added that it has also yet to offer an explanation.

This is despite the fact that more than three weeks have passed since the incident.

The only action the school had apparently taken was to send out a group email on Apr. 24 to parents to inform them about how it has strengthened fire safety measures, and announce discounts for upcoming summer courses, according to Ji's mother.

"They didn't even offer a word of apology or regards to the victims' families... when we saw that email, we felt it was ridiculous," she said.

Father unable to find daughter on day of fire

Ji's mother also recounted to Zaobao what happened on the day of the fire.

The family's driver had sent their daughter to school.

The driver later heard the fire truck siren at about 10am and immediately notified her husband, and he noticed that there appeared to be an incident at the school.

The girl's mother said her husband then rushed down to the school but was unable to find his daughter amidst the chaotic situation.

He went to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and KK Women's and Children's Hospital to look for her but was still unable to find her.

Her husband was only notified at about 4pm by the police to go to SGH to identify his daughter's body.

Their daughter had passed away at noon, according to hospital records.

Family still grieving over the loss of their daughter

The victim's mother added that the family was still in shock about the loss of their daughter.

She said, "These days the sentence my husband says the most is, 'Why did this happen to us?'"

She recalled her daughter as an athletic student who participated in rock-climbing activities at school.

In addition, her daughter has signed up for various courses when she was four to five years old at enrichment centres

This includes drama and science experiment classes.

Her mother added that at the beginning of 2025, Ji said she wanted to learn how to make muffins, so her parents signed her up for a cooking class.

Zaobao further reported that the girl's mother also choked up several times throughout the interview and recalled how her daughter would often prepare small gifts for her family.

Ji's school, the United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), has also shared a powerpoint presentation with the family, containing messages from her classmates, as well as clips of her campus life.

Zaobao further reported that about 20 parents affected by the fire will form a group to discuss how to take legal action against the school.

In response to Mothership's queries, Tomato Cooking School replied:

"We are deeply sorry to read and comprehend that the way we communicated in the days after the tragedy felt distant or not enough. From the bottom of our hearts, we’ve only wanted to offer comfort, support, and presence in a moment that has shaken all of us.

On Apr. 9, we reached out to all affected families through personal emails and WhatsApp messages.

We also sent a message of condolence and support to the contact we had on file for the family of the child we lost. It was only later that we learned this was a caregiver, not the parent’s contact. We received the parent’s contact details just two days ago and reached out right away.

This loss has left us heartbroken. The pain is real and deep - for the families, for the children, and for every member of our team who carries this grief with them every day.

We’ve been here throughout - listening, speaking, grieving, and supporting. Some families have chosen to stay in touch, and we’re grateful for that trust. Others have needed space, and we completely understand. Our door remains open to every family, whenever they feel ready.

We continue to fully support the investigation and are committed to doing all we can to help bring understanding and healing in the days ahead."

Left photo via Lianhe Zaobao, right photo via Google Maps