Two people have died in hospital following a fire at a fourth-floor flat at Block 106, Jalan Bukit Merah, on 13 August 2025. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the blaze at around 4pm.
The victims, a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, were found unconscious in the kitchen during firefighting operations. They were taken to Singapore General Hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Firefighters Battle Flames in Living Room and Bedroom
When SCDF personnel arrived at the scene, the living room and bedroom of the unit were ablaze. Firefighters used water jets to extinguish the fire.
Thick smoke could be seen emanating from the windows of the affected unit. SCDF firefighters raised ladders to reach the burning flat while police officers secured the area.
During the firefighting operation, crews discovered the two unconscious victims in the kitchen. They were immediately carried out of the unit and rushed to hospital.
A friend of the deceased man witnessed the couple shouting for help at a window. “She was shouting, ‘Brother, help me!’ in Malay and he was hugging her from behind. I recognised him from the tattoos on his arm,” the 41-year-old self-employed man said.
The friend saw the woman trying to rescue her cat by passing it to SCDF firefighters through the window. When the victims were taken out on stretchers, their clothes and bodies showed burn injuries.
A lifting supervisor known as Wan noticed smoke from the unit while sitting at the block’s pavilion. The 39-year-old heard a loud explosion seconds later and rushed upstairs.
He attempted to crawl through thick smoke to reach the occupants but received no response when he asked them to throw out their keys.
60 Evacuated as Investigation Begins
About 60 people from the affected block were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Two other residents from neighbouring units were also taken to Singapore General Hospital: one suffered from smoke inhalation while the other felt unwell.
A neighbour identified as Ms Zelah said the couple were friends of the flat owner who had moved in just a month ago. The 36-year-old resident noted they owned an e-bike, having seen someone deliver a charger for the device days earlier.
Police do not suspect foul play based on preliminary investigations. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
At 9:40pm, Radin Mas SMC MP Melvin Yong arrived at the scene and spoke with residents. He pledged to reach out to the victims’ families to provide support and assistance.
Yong worked with the Housing Board to arrange temporary accommodation for residents unable to return home due to ongoing damping works. About 20 residents initially indicated they needed housing assistance, though some later found help from family and friends.
This incident brings the total fire-related deaths in 2025 to eight, compared to five in 2024 and three in 2023 according to SCDF statistics.
The most recent fire-related fatalities occurred in July when a 56-year-old man and 61-year-old woman died in a second-storey unit at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1.
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