Tower Transit bus captain commended for helping put out vegetation fire in Punggol
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Bus captain Lim Chwin Chien was concerned that the fire would get bigger and cause harm to passengers.
PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM MILOKOPIPENG/INSTAGRAM, TOWER TRANSIT
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SINGAPORE – A Tower Transit bus captain, Mr Lim Chwin Chien, was commended for his efforts in putting out a fire near a bus stop in Punggol on Jan 20.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire along the TPE, towards the SLE before the Punggol Road exit, at about 12.10am that day.
Members of the public attempted to put out the fire involving vegetation, which measured about 0.5m by 0.5m. No injuries were reported, said SCDF.
The fire was extinguished by SCDF with a hosereel.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, Mr Glenn Lim, director of communications and customer experience at Tower Transit Singapore, said Mr Lim Chwin Chien, bus captain of service 858, was worried that the fire would get bigger and cause harm to commuters at the bus stop.
After one of his passengers alighted at that bus stop, he alighted as well, instructed the passenger to call SCDF and attempted to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.
Windy conditions rekindled the fire, and the bus captain made a second attempt to put it out, added Mr Glenn Lim.
Mr Lim Chwin Chien also apologised to passengers on board the bus for causing a delay in their journeys.
He later returned to his home town in Malaysia to register his marriage, unaware that his firefighting efforts had gone viral on social media.
“Maybe this was an auspicious sign,” quipped the 32-year-old driver.
Mr Glenn Lim said Tower Transit is proud of its bus captain for his efforts in putting out the fire and keeping his passengers safe, and added that he will receive Tower Transit’s Superstar award.
Mr Lim Chwin Chien will also be honoured with the SCDF Community First Responder Award in a ceremony on Feb 13.
“We would like to take the opportunity to wish the newlyweds a blessed and joyous life together,” said Mr Glenn Lim.
In video footage of the incident posted on Instagram, a passenger on board the bus commended Mr Lim Chwin Chien for his efforts in extinguishing the fire.
“These are the unsung heroes who saved the day and they should be recognised and praised,” said Instagram user aalesiaseen.
SCDF said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
