Family of 3 who died in Hougang fire were hoarders who refused help from HDB: Coroner's inquiry

On Sep. 21, a coroner's inquiry into the family that died in the Hougang house fire revealed that the family, who were hoarders, had refused help from the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the fire that broke out on Jan. 9, 2025, in their third-floor unit at Block 971 Hougang Street 91 started in a master bedroom wall socket outlet.

Lee Choon Geak, 62, died of smoke inhalation; his 56-year-old wife, Seow Siew Choo's cause of death was unascertained.

Their daughter, Grace Lee Jia Wei, 18, died of asphyxia, a condition where the body is unable to receive sufficient oxygen.

Around 20 calls were made to relevant authorities by residents at around 12:40pm as the flat was engulfed in smoke, reported The Straits Times (ST).

The hearing has been adjourned by State Coroner Adam Nakhoda to Oct. 12, where a forensic pathologist will further detail the cause of death for mother and daughter.

Refused to speak to HDB officers

Singapore Police Force (SPF) Inspector Melvin Lim testified that HDB learnt of the family's hoarding issues on Feb. 7, 2024.

A day later, HDB officers attempted to speak with the family but were denied entry.

HDB officers made two more visits—once in September 2024, which ended in rejection, and another time in December 2024, but no one was home, reported ST.

Firefighters faced difficulty opening main door

When police officers reached the scene of the fire, they banged on the door, but no one responded.

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Lieutenant-Colonel Muhammad Faizal Mazlan noted that firefighters faced significant difficulty opening the main door of the unit due to the large accumulation of items.

Firefighters forced their way in and found the father unresponsive and seated near the door of one of the bedrooms with burn injuries, dead from smoke inhalation, ST added.

The mother was found lying on a bed in that bedroom, upon which firefighters carried her out.

The daughter was later found buried under debris in the same bedroom.

Faizal said the intense heat from the fire destroyed the master bedroom door, with only the hinges left behind.

According to ST, the father's body was the first to be identified on Jan. 10, followed by his daughter a day later.

His wife's body was only identified more than two weeks after the fire.

Wife's body had extensive burns but no soot in airways or stomach

Lim said that while the wife's body had extensive burns, no soot was found in her airways or stomach.

This meant that Seow's death could have occurred before the fire, reported ST.

No foul play was suspected; the family had no recorded disputes with neighbours, and there was no evidence that any of the three harboured suicidal ideation, Lim noted.

Although the daughter had been seeing an Institute of Mental Health doctor from 2023 to 2024, the court was told the daughter was not identified as having a high risk of suicide, reported ST.

Lim added that the daughter's low moods and stress were due to her family and schoolwork.

Faizal noted that SCDF interviewed family members and found that the daughter aspired to start a business and was studying business at ITE College Central.

Loose terminal connections behind wall socket

Investigations showed loose terminal connections behind the wall socket, leading to internal overheating and eventually the fire.

During the hearing, one of Seow's sisters asked if the wall socket had any appliances connected to it at the time.

Faizal said an extension socket was plugged in, likely along with a laptop and two fans.

He noted that the remains of these items were mainly found on the floor, as most carpentry was destroyed.

Seow's sister asked if the family could have noticed these loose terminal connections behind the wall socket, and Faizal listed discolouration, crackling sounds and a burning smell.

But Faizal emphasised that the "large number of items in the bedroom and unit" were what contributed greatly to the fire.