60-year-old nasi lemak hawker dies in Whampoa flat fire

In the early hours of Monday (6 May), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) swiftly responded to a fire incident at a Housing Board flat in Whampoa.

SCDF took to Facebook to report that they received an alert regarding the incident at Block 76 Lorong Limau around 2:30 am.

Upon SCDF’s arrival, the fire was observed raging inside a unit on the sixth floor.

Firefighters conducted forcible entry to gain access into the unit.

The fire, which affected the entire unit, was extinguished by firefighters from Central Fire Station and Bishan Fire Station using two water jets.

As a precautionary measure, approximately 200 people from neighbouring units were evacuated by the police and SCDF.

During the rescue operation, two women, aged 60 and 77 were found in the utility room in the kitchen area and were rescued by firefighters.

They were then transported to Singapore General Hospital for treatment.

Tragically, a 60-year-old individual was found deceased in one of the bedrooms by an SCDF paramedic at the scene.

This marks the third reported fire fatality in 2024, matching the total number of deaths recorded for the entirety of 2023.

Selling nasi lemak for the past 40 years

According to Singapore’s Chinese media outlet Shin Min Daily News, the deceased, identified as Chai Wanyuan ( 蔡万源, transliteration from Mandarin), was a well-known hawker selling nasi lemak at Whampoa Food Centre.

Chai’s 58-year-old younger brother, who also operates a stall selling roasted meats, mentioned that his brother had been a fixture at the food centre, selling nasi lemak for the past 40 years.

“I received news of the fire at my brother’s house around 2 am and rushed to the scene. ”

“When I arrived downstairs, I saw my mother. She was terrified but physically unharmed. Later, she was taken to the hospital.”

He also disclosed that the unit where the fire broke out was typically occupied by his brother, sister-in-law, and mother.

According to SCDF, Investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway.