Wife, 52, of hawker, 80, says husband feels too guilty to eat after fire at Hong Lim food center

A fire broke out at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre on Jan. 2, 2026.

The fire allegedly started at Ho Kee Seafood.

While luckily no one was hurt, Shin Min reported that there has been a decrease in business following the incident.

Some of the stalls also still have not reopened, including Ho Kee.

Teo Koon Guan, 80, and Piti Saowanee, 52, run the stall.

Both are understandably still very affected, but Saowanee revealed in the Shin Min interview how badly her husband has been taking it.

She said Teo used to have a big appetite, polishing off two or three bowls of rice at a time, but now he barely eats and has trouble sleeping as well.

She attributes part of this to the deep guilt he feels towards other affected vendors.

Was shocked

One of the folks who helped put out the fire had told Mothership earlier that Teo had been shocked and had to be pulled back when the fires were raging.

While everything is still in limbo at the moment, Saowanee told CNA in an earlier interview how their shift will change after their stall reopens.

Teo used to man the stall by himself until the late afternoon. Saowanee would take over for the dinner shift.

Saowanee said she will now take over both shifts and will only feel "at ease" with Teo helping with tasks outside the stall.

The CNA report also delved into how the two met at a hair salon in Bangkok when Teo had been travelling following the death of his first wife.

She eventually came to Singapore with him around 1999, and the two married in the early 2000s.

Saowanee was described by fellow vendors as a big help to Teo around the stall.

She also said that although her husband is quite a bit older, she never worried about him as he always took good care of the family.

Image from Shin Min