Man, 33, who died & woman, 61, taken to hospital after CCK HDB fire reportedly mother & son: Shin Min

The 33-year-old man who died and a 61-year-old woman who was conveyed conscious to the hospital after a fire broke out in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Choa Chu Kang in the early hours of Mar. 19 are reportedly mother and son, according to Shin Min Daily News.

A neighbour at the scene told Shin Min that a 61-year-old woman and her children, which reportedly includes the 33-year-old man who died, lived in the unit.

When the fire broke out, the 61-year-old woman sought help from a 30-year-old neighbour living on the same floor, Shin Min reported.

Person found dead in unit

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at about 3am at Block 763 Choa Chu Kang North 5.

The blaze involved a bedroom in a unit on the 14th floor.

Firefighters deployed two water jets to put it out.

During firefighting operations, responders found a person inside the affected unit.

The individual was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

The police said the deceased was a 33-year-old man who was found lying motionless inside the unit.

Hospital

Another person from the same unit had evacuated before SCDF arrived and was later assessed for smoke inhalation before being taken to Singapore General Hospital.

According to the police, a 61-year-old woman was conveyed conscious to the hospital.

Two other people from the block were also assessed for smoke inhalation, but declined further medical treatment.

Residents evacuated

As a precautionary measure, about 70 residents were evacuated by the police and SCDF.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that a female resident in her 50s said she saw thick smoke coming from the affected unit when she came out of her house.

The resident, who lives on the 15th floor, said that she was so scared that her legs went weak.

"I still feel lingering fear when I think about it," she added. "I've lived here for over 30 years, and this is the first time I've seen a fire break out in my neighbourhood."

A 27-year-old male resident who lives on the 15th floor said he heard a sound when the fire broke out and felt a surge of heat when he passed the 14th floor during evacuation.

Mothership understands that a man on the 16th floor, Aw, called the police initially.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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