Stove burns 95 per cent of food stall owner's face
Food stall owner desperate attempt to put out stove fire ends in disaster
He never expected to spend Chinese New Year in a hospital.
Last Sunday, on the eve of Chinese New Year, Mr Chiok Tiong Kwee's Fo Shou Vegetarian Food stall in Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre caught fire.
The 66-year-old suffered burns on 95 per cent of his face.
It was about 6.30am when Mr Chiok turned on the stove, preparing to cook for the day.
He stepped out of the stall, located on the third storey of the building, to get his ingredients and came back to see the stove area in flames.
After a failed attempt to break the fire extinguisher out of its locked case, Mr Chiok panicked and grabbed a wet gunny sack from the stall next to his and threw it over the fire, hoping it would extinguish the flames.
But the situation became worse. The fire got bigger and ended up burning his face, neck and both his hands.
"I didn't want the fire to spread," he told Shin Min Daily News.
"I just wanted to put the fire out."
Mr Chiok says the stall's closure for the day saw him lose approximately $500 worth of business.
LETTER
Upon learning about the mishap, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam wrote a letter to Mr Chiok saying he regrets to hear of his accident at the hawker centre.
He added: "With my grassroots leaders, I will support you in all ways possible."
He ended the note saying: "My best wishes for a quick recovery."
Along with the heartwarming note, Mr Tharman gave Mr Chiok, who has been working at the stall for the past 11 years, a hongbao as a token of support.
Mr Chiok, who was admitted to the Singapore General Hospital, said he was "very touched" by the letter.
The food stall owner's face is all bandaged up to ensure his facial wounds do not come in contact with water and sunlight. The area around his eyes is red and puffy.
Mr Chiok, who now has difficulty eating, said: "I don't know if I will go back to work after I have recovered from this.
"I may retire, but I won't make a decision until I have recovered."
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