SINGAPORE — Red Dot United (RDU) sends a letter to the Minister of Development (MND) to seek clarification on fire safety issues arising from the fire incident that happened earlier this month (8 December) at Block 91 Henderson Road in Bukit Merah.
The letter, which was penned by Ravi Philemon, RDU’s Secretary-General, raised several questions such as whether the affected flat had done an electrical supply upgrade, appropriate access for fire fighting machinery and whether there was enough passageway along the corridor for the residents to be evacuated quickly in case of an emergency.
The fire saw the first death of a firefighter from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in its operation.
19-year-old Full-time National Serviceman (NSF) Corporal Edward Go was rushed to medical treatment after falling unconscious during the fire-fighting operation in the kitchen of the unit at Block 91. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Mr Philemon stressed that his party is of the view that Singaporeans should not get the short end of the stick just because they live in public rental housing flats.
“Their lives, livelihoods and properties are just as important as anyone else’s.”
The letter by Mr Philemon suggests that the fire at Block 91 Henderson Road could serve as an important litmus test to analyse if Singaporeans who live in public rental housing schemes are provided adequate and safe care beyond basic shelter.
RDU urged better community engagement to ensure fire preparedness
“An honest and transparent accounting of how the fire started could give the Government valuable insights if life can be made safer and better for them,” wrote Mr Philemon in the letter to MND minister Desmond Lee.
While reiterating that his party have no intention to politicise the matter, Mr Philemon said RDU hopes to see better community engagement from the relevant authorities to ensure that the fire preparedness of older housing units can be refreshed to accord with the strictest of standards.
Resident said wiring in the block has never been upgraded
In the letter to MND, Mr Philemon questioned Mr Lee if the electrical supply upgrade was performed for Block 91 Henderson Road before the fire outbreak.
Mr Philemon highlighted that one resident who has lived in the affected block for about 15 years told the RDU volunteers that the wiring in the block has never been upgraded in the time that she has lived there.
The letter noted that RDU found an electrician doing rewiring work on the 10th floor of the block when they visited the affected block on 19 December.
The electrician told him that his company had been contracted to change the wires for the entire block, and the rewiring work had only started the previous day (18 Dec).
HDB apartment blocks completed on or after 1 Jan 1994 are provided with a 40 amps main switch.
But since the affected block was built in 1975 and has not been provided with higher electrical loading, Mr Philemon believed that higher capacity equipment/appliances cannot be used in the units in the block.
According to the SCDF’s preliminary investigations, the fire at Block 91 on 8 December is likely to be of electrical origin and started in the bedroom.
As flats 30 years or older may be selected by HDB for the Home Improvement Program (HIP), Mr Philemon questioned whether any such program has been scheduled and when such an upgrade was supposed to be conducted.
Access for firefighting machinery
Mr Philemon also noted that there is no way for the Light Fire Attack Vehicles (LF4G) to access the unit on fire directly.
“They had to access the unit on fire via the unit which was directly opposite them. This is what the residents told us as well. ”
Hence he questioned whether Block 91 Henderson Road has appropriate access for both LF4G or Fire Engines to respond to emergencies for units on both sides of the block and whether the design of the HDB block is compliant with the latest fire safety regulations.
Narrow passageway of the block
Mr Philemon also raised a question on whether the flats in Block 91 Henderson Road are built too close to each other where one unit will be adversely affected if a fire starts in the flat next to them or opposite them.
“From our visit to the site of the fire, we noticed that the units opposite and next door to the unit in which the fire started, seem to be affected just as much by the fire.”
“We noticed that the inferno must have been so great that the gate of the unit opposite the unit in which the fire started has also melted, ” Mr Philemon added.
Mr Philemon mentioned that the affected block has 360 units (each measuring about 44-45 sqm).
“The two-room units are neatly arranged on both sides of a narrow corridor. This narrow corridor is sometimes also blocked by shoe racks or other furniture, ” Mr Philemon said.
Mr Philemon expressed his worry about whether there is enough passageway along the corridor for the residents of the block to be evacuated quickly in case of an emergency.
Overcrowding problem in public rental flats
The party also questioned whether overcrowding is a problem in public rental flats and how would the Ministry of National Development can address the problems posed by overcrowding.
The average number of occupants per unit in 2-room rental flats with children is four persons, according to the ministry.
It has also said that under the various HDB rental schemes, 85% of households with at least three persons are living in 2-room or larger rental flats.
“Even if we use the average number of occupants per unit in 2- room rental flats as provided by the Government, there would be 1,440 occupants in the entire block.”
According to the news report, seven people were living in the two-room rental flat that caught fire at Block 91 Henderson Road. Three people were in the flat when the fire broke out.
No home fire alarm devices at victim’s unit
RDU believes that if a Home Fire Alarm Device (HFAD) had been installed, it would have alerted the fire victims earlier about the fire, and the damage could have been prevented or at least minimised.
The party mentioned that the occupants of the unit in which the fire started said that there was no HFAD in their home, and one of the victims woke up by chance to the smell of something burning.
“The occupants of the flat do not recall anyone asking them to enroll in the HFAD Assistance Scheme.”
Hence the party questioned whether the government will make free installation of HFADs for all public rental flats mandatory.
Back in 2019, MND said that it would “provide free installation of HFADs for all public rental flats by the end of 2021.”
In September this year, Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for MHA and MND said the free installation of HFADs for all HDB public rental flats was completed in June 2021, but it was on a non-mandatory basis.
“The take-up rate as of the completion of the initiative was 75%. HDB will progressively install HFADs in the remaining 25% of public rental flats when their tenants’ leases end, ” Faishal Ibrahim replied to MPs question.\
The party had earlier sent another letter on 14 December to Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam and SCDF, to seek clarification regarding the death of CPL Go.
The party had yet to receive a reply from either of the two ministers.
