A tragic incident occurred at a cooking school for children in Singapore, where a 10-year-old girl, identified as an Australian national, lost her life due to a fire.
On Tuesday morning, a fire broke out at a cooking school located on River Valley Road in Singapore’s south, resulting in five adults and fifteen children being rushed to the hospital.
The young girl succumbed to her injuries later in the hospital.
READ MORE: Western Sydney University data breach impacts 10,000 students
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed that they are providing assistance to the family of the deceased Australian girl. A DFAT spokesperson expressed, “We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment.”
The Singaporean Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the fire at around 9:45 AM on Monday. Reports indicate that several individuals were forced to escape onto a third-storey ledge as flames engulfed the building.
Construction workers played a crucial role in rescuing these individuals, using scaffolding and ladders before firefighters arrived to assist with their escape.
The fire was extinguished within half an hour, and according to the SCDF, a total of 80 people were evacuated from the cooking school, where culinary camps are held for school-aged children.
READ MORE: Mass refunds coming for 61,000 Aussies over ticket repricing ‘error’
The cooking school, Tomato Cooking School, has expressed their grief over the incident, stating, “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the fire that occurred at the shophouse,” in a statement shared on their Facebook page. They added, “Our thoughts are with all the families and individuals affected during this difficult time.”
Furthermore, the cooking school is cooperating with the police investigation regarding the fire’s cause, emphasizing, “We cannot express our sadness in words for the affected families and what they are going through.”
On Wednesday night, the SCDF indicated that the fire seemed to have originated in a storage area on the second floor of the building. They reported discovering multiple “fire safety non-compliances” within the premises.
Preliminary investigations revealed unauthorized modifications, including the erection of partitions that violated fire safety regulations. The SCDF stated, “SCDF takes a very serious view of fire safety non-compliances, as they pose significant risks to lives and property. The responsible entity may face a fine of up to $200,000, imprisonment of up to 24 months, or both.”
The investigation into the fire remains ongoing, with authorities focusing on ensuring safety standards are upheld in all facilities.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
