He saw crowd and got curious
Reader calls TNP hotline after spotting taxi fire on the way to work
When Mr Steven Chia Kok Wee saw thick smoke and flames coming out of a taxi, he called The New Paper hotline.
The taxi bonnet had burst into flames at the junction of Woodlands Road and Bukit Panjang Road on March 25.
At about 3pm, Mr Chia, 34, a cashier at a petrol kiosk, was heading to work when he noticed a large crowd surrounding the vehicle.
"I was boarding the bus so I couldn't take a video of it," said Mr Chia.
A frequent TNP reader, he was curious to find out what happened and was reminded of stories which resulted from hotline calls.
"I was heartened by the quick response of The New Paper's reporters," he said.
ROCKED BY SAD NEWS
Another reader who called the TNP hotline was Madam Ong Lay Hua.
Having lived at her block in Clementi for over a decade, Madam Ong has always found it a peaceful estate.
But the estate was rocked by the sad news on the afternoon of March 24.
A father and son had fallen to their deaths at Block 605, Clementi West Street 1 - the block she lives at.
Madam Ong and her family were shocked to learn that Mr Desmond Soong, 31, and his father, Mr Soong Ya Cai, 66, had fallen while she and her family were out.
She grabbed the copy of The New Paper from her kitchen table and called the hotline.
Said Madam Ong: "It was shocking to find two people dying one after the other just like that.
"The New Paper covers stories close to people so I thought it would be interested in covering this."
Madam Ong, who has been reading TNP for the past 20 years, said her two sons like reading the paper too.
"My younger son is always engrossed in the interesting details that the reporters manage to uncover," she said.
For their tip-offs, both Madam Ong and Mr Chia will each receive a $100 Burger King voucher.
We value your calls, so contact us at 1800-733-4455.
You can also reach us via SMS or MMS at 9477-8899, via e-mail at tnp@sph.com.sg or visit our website at tnp.sg
I was very curious to know what happened and was reminded of The New Paper because other people have called in. I was heartened by the quick response of The New Paper's reporters.
- Mr Steven Chia Kok Wee (below)
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