25-04-2025
Tears of gratitude: Mother meets migrant workers who saved daughter from fire
Tears rolled down the cheeks of Madam Liu Ling as she met the migrant workers who rescued her six-year-old daughter from a fire at a River Valley Road shophouse on April 8.
The 47-year-old said: "They (the migrant workers) told me my daughter was unconscious when they rescued her from the third-storey ledge. My daughter is lucky to have had so many heroes here from India and Bangladesh to save her life."
Madam Liu and her husband were at an event that brought together 15 migrant workers and families of the children they rescued.
Twenty-one people were injured in the blaze - 15 children and six adults.
Madam's Liu's daughter was a participant in the Tomato Cooking School's five-day cooking camp when the fire broke out.
"My daughter is among the youngest ones to survive the blaze. It is a very serious accident. I can't imagine such an accident happening in Singapore," Madam Liu added.
The informal get-together was organised by ItsRainingRaincoats, a charity for migrant workers, and held at their charity store at Henderson Road on April 20.
One of the rescuers was Mr Chinnappa Kannadasan, 32, who was at the top of a ladder used in the rescue.
He passed the children one by one to other migrant workers involved in the rescue.
They had used a scaffold from their work site and a ladder to reach those trapped, before firefighers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived.
"Teachers and children were crying out for help. We had no second thoughts. We had to try and rescue them," he said
Mr Victor Ordenes, 45, whose six-year-old daughter was one of those rescued, spoke to the workers.
"If not for you guys, our daughter wouldn't be with us. You have changed our lives."
His wife Rebecca said: "It makes me quite emotional thinking what could have happened if not for these men."
Ms Monica Millington, 34, a young mother was also deeply moved.
"Knowing there were strangers willing to risk their lives to help others reminds us that we should be kind to others and help others when we can. I want to show these heroes that their efforts are recognised," she said.
She presented each of the migrant workers with shirts and pants from her men's wear business. Others gave them cash envelopes, goodie bags and even home-baked brownies
While the migrant workers were touched by the show of appreciation, they shared their sadness over the death of Australian national Freya Ji Yinan, 10, who died in the fire.
Mr Govindaraj Elangeshwaran, 28, one of the migrant workers, said: "We were very happy to meet the children we rescued. But, at the same time, we are sad that we could not rescue that one girl who passed away."
