Cigarette left unattended likely started Bedok North flat fire that killed 3
: Coroner's court
Even though the cigarette was disposed of, the blaze might already have been set in motion.
Daniel Seow
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The deadly fire in a Bedok North HDB flat that claimed the lives of three occupants -- a woman, 56, a man, 35, and a girl, three -- in May 2022, was likely caused by a lit cigarette left behind on a cardboard box by the homeowner's boyfriend.
These were the preliminary findings from a coroner's inquiry conducted on May 13, 2022, according to CNA.
The three victims who perished in the blaze were the 56-year-old owner, Aileen Chan, a 35-year-old male tenant, Tan Soon Keong, and his three-year-old toddler, Tan Hui En.
At the time, Chan and her boyfriend were the landlords of the flat at Block 409 Bedok North Avenue 2, which had five occupants, including Tan's wife.
Had messaged Chan to ask her to dispose of it
The court heard that Chan's boyfriend, who was referred to as Mr Ithnin, had allegedly placed the lit cigarette on a cardboard box, beside a chair he was sitting in.Leaving it behind, he then headed off for work.
Later, he remembered the cigarette and sent voice messages to Chan to ask her to dispose of it.
At 5:47am, Chan replied his message, saying that it was a dangerous thing to do and that it was "lucky" that the box did not catch fire.
In her message, she also confirmed that she had disposed of it.
So how did the fire start?
According to CNA, the lead fire investigator attested that the cardboard could have already been heated up by the tip of the lighted cigarette, even though it was later removed.As long as there was enough ventilation and fuel, the heat could continue to be produced, she added.
She also pointed out that such fires might not be visible immediately.
"Sometimes you might see an orangey-bright lining, we call it incandescence. It will take time... we call this a smouldering process," she explained.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force investigator pointed out that there were combustible items cluttering up the living room, including cardboard boxes, wood pieces and furniture.
The investigation also ruled out other possible causes of the fire, such as electric appliances and a ceiling light, as they were in good working condition.
Manner of death
Only one person survived the fire - Tan's wife and the mother of the toddler - but she remains in critical condition in a Malaysian hospital, based on the CNA report.According to Singapore Police Force's principal investigation officer, she is in a vegetative state and it is unlikely that she will be a normal person again.
Tan, who was found in the bedroom of the unit with his wife and toddler, died of smoke inhalation.
His toddler died in hospital due to reasons such as smoke inhalation, as well as thermal and possibly chemical injuries sustained to her airway and lungs.
Chan, who was pronounced dead when SCDF paramedics found her in the living room, died from extensive burns with smoke inhalation.
No foul play suspected
The police do not suspect any foul play in this case, as Mr Ithnin had said he would have returned to the flat to dispose of the cigarette if Chan had not replied.Court documents indicated that the inquiry is still ongoing, and the coroner's findings will be presented at a later date.
