Elderly woman who died in CCK fire was a hoarder
A 70-year-old woman died after a fire broke out in a Choa Chu Kang flat on Sept 24.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at Block 692A Choa Chu Kang Crescent at about 5.25am.
The fire broke out in a four-room flat on the ninth storey, located near the corridor.
When firefighters from Bukit Batok and Woodlands fire stations arrived at the scene, the living room and bedroom of the affected unit were engulfed in flames.
Firefighters forced their way into the flat and extinguished the fire with a water jet and two compressed air foam backpacks.
A woman was found in one of the bedrooms and was subsequently evacuated by firefighters. However, she was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
No one else was in the affected unit.
About 150 people in the block were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
[Fire @ 692A, Choa Chu Kang Crescent] At about 5:25am this morning, firefighters from Bukit Batok Fire Station and...
Posted by Singapore Civil Defence Force on Monday, September 23, 2024
When Lianhe Zaobao reporters arrived at the scene, the fire had been extinguished but a strong smell of burning lingered in the air.
Most of the items in the affected unit had been charred, and the walls of the corridor outside the unit were blackened by smoke.
It is understood that the deceased woman was in her late 70s and lived with a special needs child.
Her son, who was believed to have gone out to buy breakfast, was not at home at the time of the incident.
Neighbours revealed that the woman's husband had died a few years ago.
A resident, who declined to be named, said that the elderly woman was fond of hoarding items and would often bring home discarded items found outside. This made the unit and its surroundings cluttered, and difficult for neighbours to pass.
The neighbour added that the Town Council and the woman's relatives had visited her at least twice to help clear the clutter, but the items would accumulate again after a short period.
Ms Zhong, a 59-year-old woman who lives on the 10th floor directly above the affected unit, said she was awakened by the heat and crackling sounds at around 5am.
When she opened her door, she saw thick smoke billowing from below.
She immediately evacuated her 86-year-old mother and alerted her neighbours.
"My mother has mobility issues, but luckily the lift was still working so we were able to escape," she said.
She added that she had inhaled a lot of smoke and experienced throat discomfort and high blood pressure. After a medical check-up, she was found to be fine.
Ms Zhong invited reporters into her flat to show how the floor of her flat was hot to the touch and some tiles had cracked due to the high temperature.
The high temperature in the flat gradually subsided by the afternoon.
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