Do you have the habit of checking if all your unnecessary electrical appliances are switched off before leaving the house or going to bed?
Because if you don’t, it might be a good idea to start doing so now.
An HDB Flat Was Burned Down After FDW Forgot to Turn off the Iron
According to Lianhe Zaobao, this incident reportedly happened at 4-room HDB unit at 412 Eunos Road 5.
At 3.50am on 9 Aug 2020, a foreign domestic worker (FDW) woke her employer up frantically because a fire has broken out within the home.
Both women fled from the home immediately.
When spoken to, the female homeowner said the fire is likely caused by her FDW who allegedly forgot to turn off the iron after use.
She has already done it a few times, the employer said, and they had reminded her about it many times as well.
Eyewitnesses could see strong flames bursting out of the unit’s windows.
FDW Tried Running Back Into The Home
The FDW had reportedly tried to run back into the house to try and recover some of the family’s valuables from the fire.
The female homeowner, seeing the actions of her helper, ran into the burning unit and pulled her out.
She could be heard comforting the helper, saying that it’s more important that lives are saved.
The helper has been working with the family for just 8 months, she added.
Everything Burnt Down
When a reporter from Zaobao went down to the scene the next morning, it was observed that the walkway outside the unit was dark with soot.
Almost the entire unit was torched by the fire.
The fire was believed to have started at a guest room within the house. The employer said that her helper often used the room to iron the family’s clothes.
The room also contained a lot of valuable items, she added.
Only the female homeowner and the FDW were home at the time of the fire.
Her daughter was staying at her grandfather’s house while her husband left home at around 2 in the morning.
Thankfully, there were no casualties reported and the helper had a slight burn on her fingers.
The female employer said that she will continue the employment of her helper despite what has happened.
Moral of the story
Always make sure you switch off your appliances before leaving the house.
If you’re halfway to the first floor and you’re wondering if you’ve switched off your appliances, just go back up and check.
Else, you might just come home to a home destroyed by flames (in the worst-case scenario).
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