River Valley fire: ‘Boy looked lifeless, mouth was burnt,’ says doctor who helped injured children

SINGAPORE - Dr Laura Biffin was working in her clinic in River Valley Road on April 8 when she heard a commotion coming from Tomato Cooking School, located down the road.

The family physician ran outside and

saw that a shophouse, which the cooking school was located in, was on fire.

Dr Biffin, 38, saw children being evacuated to another shophouse and went to help examine those hurt in the blaze.

A

10-year-old Australian girl died

and 21 others were injured.

The casualties included six adults aged between 23 and 55, and 16 children aged between six and 10.

Dr Biffin was among 18 members of the public who received the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Community Lifesaver award on April 15 for their part in rescuing and helping the victims of the fire.

Speaking to the media after the award ceremony at the 1st SCDF Division in Queensway, she said about 10 children were evacuated to the other shophouse.

“I looked around the room and (the children) were coughing. They were burnt,” she said.

“I focused on one boy who looked lifeless when he was rescued, but I think he was in shock. His mouth was burnt so I made sure he could breathe.

“He later complained about the pain in his right hand, which looked badly burnt.”

Dr Biffin, a mother of three, said her five-year-old daughter had attended cooking lessons at the school six months earlier. She said she was upset when she learnt about the alleged

fire safety breaches there

.

“I just hope this tragedy will lead to more strict measures on fire safety,” she added.

SCDF said earlier that its investigations revealed the fire likely started in a storage area on the second floor of the three-storey shophouse. It found unauthorised partitions inside, among other fire safety breaches.

Those convicted of fire safety breaches can be fined up to $200,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said on April 9 that the first floor of the three-storey building was approved for use as a children’s enrichment centre, while the second and third floors were approved for residential use.

Another award recipient, Gojek driver Benson Lo, 47, said he was driving past the area when he saw thick smoke billowing out of the school’s windows.

Some of the children were seated on the third-storey ledge, crying and shivering in fear, he added. Seeing them reminded him of his three daughters, aged 10, 14 and 15.

“I tried to go up the staircase to save the children, but I couldn’t because it was filled with smoke,” he said.

“My only concern then was the children’s safety because they were so frightened and they wanted to jump. The teachers had to hold on to them.”

Mr Lo climbed the scaffolding put up by migrant workers to the second storey and brought the children down to safety.

He said: “The teachers tried to bring down as many children as they could before they climbed out themselves.”

The award winners included 15 migrant workers, some of whom had been working at a nearby construction site and rushed to the burning building with scaffolding and a ladder to save the victims.

Gym owner Shaik Amirudin, who helped to

support the scaffolding,

was also recognised for his efforts.

Colonel Tay Zhi Wei, commander of the 1st SCDF division, presented the awards to the recipients.

He said: “We are all deeply saddened by the loss of life at the River Valley Road fire, and our hearts and thoughts are with all the affected families.

“We would like to thank the members of the public who stepped forward to help. Your quick thinking, collective actions and bravery saved many lives that day.”

SCDF and URA are investigating the incident.