A devastating fire erupted on Tuesday morning at a three-storey building along River Valley Road in central Singapore, claiming the life of a 10-year-old Australian girl and injuring 21 others, including a number of young children.
The fire broke out at the Tomato Cooking School, where holiday classes for children from international schools were underway. Eyewitness videos showed the mayhem as black smoke poured out of the windows as children were left stranded on a thin ledge. Some passersby, including Bangladeshi construction worker Shakil Mohammad, came forward to assist. With ladders and scaffolding, they rescued several children before emergency responders arrived.
“The children wanted to jump. I told them, ‘Don’t jump! I will help you,’” Mohammad told The Straits Times.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the fire started around 9:45am and was brought under control within 30 minutes, though it had already engulfed the second and third floors of the building.
A total of 22 were admitted to the hospital, consisting of 16 children between six and ten and six adults between 23 and 55. Close to 80 individuals were evacuated from the building and its surroundings.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia confirmed the death of the young girl and is offering consular assistance to the mourning family.
The building, also home to a theatre troupe and a school of robotics, is now being questioned after 9 News Australia broke the news that only its first floor was officially sanctioned for use. Officials believe the fire could have originated in a storage room on the second floor.
Tomato Cooking School showed shock and grief, citing it was wholly collaborating with the ongoing investigation. “Our concerns are with all the families and people impacted through this trying moment,” the school mentioned in an announcement.
