Malaysian man who recently reunited with family after 20 years dies in Kaki Bukit fire
On 19 September, a fire erupted in an industrial building at 25 Kaki Bukit Road 4, leading to the deaths of two men. During the firefighting operation, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) discovered the two carpentry foremen unconscious and rushed them to Changi General Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. One of the victims, Luo Jiaqiang, had reconciled with his family just six months prior after a 20-year estrangement.
SINGAPORE: On Thursday (19 September), a fire broke out in an industrial building at 25 Kaki Bukit Road 4, resulting in the deaths of two men. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the incident at approximately 12:55pm, finding thick smoke enveloping the fifth floor. During the operation, two unconscious individuals were located in a unit opposite the one ablaze and were immediately rushed to Changi General Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
The victims were identified as 51-year-old Malaysian Luo Jiaqiang (罗家强) and 65-year-old Singaporean Vincent, as reported by Lianhe Zaobao. Both were carpentry foremen who had scheduled a lunch meeting with He Shuxiang, the 63-year-old owner of a furniture company, at 12:30pm. However, due to last-minute work issues, Mr He was delayed, and the two men went to rest in separate rooms on the mezzanine floor. When the fire erupted, two employees working on a lower floor attempted to warn the men before evacuating. Despite shouting to alert them, Mr Luo and Mr Vincent could not hear and were unable to escape. The employees tried to rescue the pair but were thwarted by the thick smoke. They managed to reach the men by phone, with Vincent reportedly saying, "It's choking; I can't breathe," before the call cut off. Mr Luo’s call also ended abruptly after about a minute, with only the sound of laboured breathing. After failing to make further contact, the employees informed the firefighters and evacuated the building. Mr He expressed deep regret over the tragedy, wondering if it could have been prevented had he arrived on time for the meeting. The two men had been discussing a potential collaboration on a furniture project when the fire broke out.
