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SINGAPORE – Two people in their 30s have died after a fire broke out in a Bukit Merah flat on Aug 13.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in an evening Facebook post that it responded to the fire at Block 106 in Jalan Bukit Merah at about 4pm.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, the living room and bedroom of a unit on the fourth floor were in flames, with SCDF personnel making use of a water jet to extinguish the blaze.
In the midst of putting out the blaze, firefighters found two people in the kitchen.
Both were unconscious and taken to Singapore General Hospital, where they subsequently died.
In response to queries, the police said the deceased were a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, and they do not suspect foul play based on preliminary investigations.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Another two people from neighbouring units were also taken to the same hospital – one felt unwell while the other suffered from smoke inhalation.
In total, about 60 people from the affected block were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
When ST arrived at the scene at about 7.30pm, two fire engines and three police cars were seen parked near the block, with a police cordon set up.
Several residents could also be seen standing around the carpark, with some speaking to SCDF officers.
A lifting supervisor who wanted to be known only as Wan, said he and his wife were sitting at the block’s pavilion when he noticed smoke emitting from the affected unit.
Seconds later, the 39-year-old heard a loud explosion and he rushed upstairs with concern as his friend lives on the same floor as the victims.
He said he tried to crawl through the thick smoke to reach the occupants in the burning unit, and also “tried to ask them to throw out their keys, but no one responded”.
A neighbour, who lives across from the victims’ unit and wanted to be known as Ms Zelah, said the man and woman were a couple who were friends of the flat owner.
Ms Zelah, 36, said they had just moved in a month ago and owned an e-bike as she had seen someone delivering a charger for the device only a few days ago.
This incident marks eight fire-related deaths so far in 2025 – an increase from five in 2024 and three in 2023, according to SCDF statistics.
The most recent fire-related deaths occurred in July when a 56-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman were pronounced dead by an SCDF paramedic.
They had been found unconscious in a second-storey unit at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 after its living room caught fire.
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The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in an evening Facebook post that it responded to the fire at Block 106 in Jalan Bukit Merah at about 4pm.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, the living room and bedroom of a unit on the fourth floor were in flames, with SCDF personnel making use of a water jet to extinguish the blaze.
In the midst of putting out the blaze, firefighters found two people in the kitchen.
Both were unconscious and taken to Singapore General Hospital, where they subsequently died.
In response to queries, the police said the deceased were a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, and they do not suspect foul play based on preliminary investigations.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Another two people from neighbouring units were also taken to the same hospital – one felt unwell while the other suffered from smoke inhalation.
In total, about 60 people from the affected block were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
When ST arrived at the scene at about 7.30pm, two fire engines and three police cars were seen parked near the block, with a police cordon set up.
Several residents could also be seen standing around the carpark, with some speaking to SCDF officers.
A lifting supervisor who wanted to be known only as Wan, said he and his wife were sitting at the block’s pavilion when he noticed smoke emitting from the affected unit.
Seconds later, the 39-year-old heard a loud explosion and he rushed upstairs with concern as his friend lives on the same floor as the victims.
He said he tried to crawl through the thick smoke to reach the occupants in the burning unit, and also “tried to ask them to throw out their keys, but no one responded”.
A neighbour, who lives across from the victims’ unit and wanted to be known as Ms Zelah, said the man and woman were a couple who were friends of the flat owner.
Ms Zelah, 36, said they had just moved in a month ago and owned an e-bike as she had seen someone delivering a charger for the device only a few days ago.
This incident marks eight fire-related deaths so far in 2025 – an increase from five in 2024 and three in 2023, according to SCDF statistics.
The most recent fire-related deaths occurred in July when a 56-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman were pronounced dead by an SCDF paramedic.
They had been found unconscious in a second-storey unit at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 after its living room caught fire.
50 evacuated after HDB flat catches fire in Jalan Bahagia
Child and firefighter among 7 taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat
- Aqil Hamzah is a journalist covering breaking news at The Straits Times, with interests in crime and technology.
- Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court desk.
