Australian girl dies as fire erupts in Singapore cooking class
The building, located on the River Valley Road in central Singapore, housed the Tomato Cooking School, where children from international schools were attending holiday classes.
Video footage showed children stranded on a ledge of the shophouse as thick black smoke poured from the windows. Passersby, including a Bangladeshi construction worker, helped rescue them using scaffolding and ladders.
Firefighters controlled the blaze, which started at about 9.45am local time, within 30 minutes. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) reported that flames had engulfed the second and third floors of the building before firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control within 30 minutes.
'Members of the public, including construction workers, used metal scaffolding and a ladder to reach those stranded and brought a number of them to safety,' the force said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Shakil Mohammad, a construction worker from Bangladesh who helped with the rescue, told The Straits Times that some of the children were on the verge of jumping from the building.
'The children wanted to jump. I told them, 'Don't jump! I will help you',' Mr Mohammad said.
The Australian government confirmed the girl's death and is providing consular support to her family. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Singapore,' said a DFAT spokesperson, according to 7News.
'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment,' they added.
According to police, 22 people were taken to hospital – six adults aged between 23 and 55, and 16 children between six and 10 years old.
Around 80 people were evacuated from the shophouse and nearby buildings, local media said.
Besides the cooking school, the building also houses a theatre group and a robotics school, according to Channel News Asia.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, with initial reports pointing out that the fire could have started in the second-floor storage area.
The cooking school expressed sorrow and added that they were cooperating with authorities. 'We are deeply saddened and shocked by the fire that occurred at the shophouse,' the school said. 'Our thoughts are with all the families and individuals affected during this difficult time.'
The statement added: 'The circumstances that led to the fire are currently under investigation by the relevant authorities. We are providing our full cooperation and assistance with the ongoing investigation.'
9 News Australia reported that there were a number of compliance issues with the building and only the first floor of the building was approved for use.
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