SINGAPORE – As a fire ravaged their Hougang flat on the second storey, the couple had difficult decisions to make.
Ms Norhayani Jasman, 33, was hiding in the kitchen toilet with her husband, Mr Muhammad Asif, 37, and their five-year-old daughter.
Ms Norhayani’s personal mobility device (PMD) caught fire at around midnight. She had plugged the device in at about 11pm on Aug 15, 2024, and had intended to leave it charging overnight in their living room, near the flat’s entrance.
With smoke spreading through their rental unit at Block 313 Hougang Avenue 5 on Aug 16, Mr Asif decided he would jump to the ground floor, and his wife would throw their daughter out the window to him.
Mr Asif recalled hearing a loud beeping noise coming from the living room that night.
The PMD burst into flames as he stepped out of his bedroom.
With the entrance to the flat blocked, the couple grabbed their child, Nor Assyifa Alya Muhammad Asif, and ran into the toilet at their kitchen.
As smoke engulfed the three-room rental flat, the family’s only escape route was through their kitchen window.
Mr Asif, an outlet manager at a fast-food chain, said: “I decided to jump out first. I told my wife to throw our daughter out of the window and I would catch her.”
Shin Min Daily News reported that a man jumped from his second-storey flat, and a child was thrown from the unit.
About 30 residents were evacuated by the police as a precaution.
As Ms Norhayani, a property management executive, picked the girl up in the toilet, she told her: “Papa is downstairs. I’m going to throw you to Papa. I love you.”
After catching her, Mr Asif could not stand, as he broke both heels from the fall.
Mr Asif explaining how he leapt from a second-floor window as smoke engulfed his flat.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Ms Norhayani was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters at about 12.50am. Covering her with a fire blanket, they escorted her out of the unit.
Mother and daughter were sent to Singapore General Hospital.
Ms Norhayani had second-degree burns on her hands, while the girl sustained a hairline fracture on her skull.
Mr Asif was taken to Changi General Hospital, where doctors inserted nine screws into his heels, leaving him using a wheelchair for six weeks.
In its annual statistics released on Feb 13, the SCDF said more active mobility devices (AMDs) caught fire in 2024, with many of these blazes happening in homes.
There were 67 fires involving AMDs in 2024, up from 55 such fires in 2023.
This is the second consecutive year that more AMD fires were reported.
Asked about their PMD, the couple said they bought it from a shop in 2023, and had been using it to send their daughter to school.
They usually charged it overnight in the living room.
When the device’s battery malfunctioned on Aug 1, Ms Norhayani took it to a bike shop near her home.
The shop owner claimed their replacement batteries were approved by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
In response to ST’s queries, an LTA spokesperson said investigations into the incident have been completed. As the device was badly burnt, the cause of the fire was unable to be determined, and no further action was taken.
Added the spokesperson: “LTA would like to remind members of the public to purchase and use only devices, parts, including batteries, from original manufacturers or official retailers, and to check for defects and modifications when purchasing second-hand devices online.”
Those who spot devices that pose fire risks can report them to their town councils, management corporations or to the SCDF.
Improper charging
Mr Shir Khan Amzalah, general manager of TECS Fire and Safety and a former SCDF firefighter, said lithium batteries in PMDs can be a fire risk when there is overcharging, improper charging and modification.
Improper charging refers to using non-original chargers or using chargers that do not meet the manufacturer’s safety ratings, said Mr Khan.
In its advisory, SCDF urged users to purchase only devices with UL2272 certification from original manufacturers or official retailers.
Devices should not be left charging unattended for long periods of time, and should not be placed near combustible materials or along escape routes.
Mr Khan said lithium battery fires are self-sustaining as the reaction produces its own oxygen, and this makes the blaze hard to extinguish. It is not effective to use water to put such fires out, making them difficult to contain.
The smoke from lithium fires differs from that of regular fires as it produces hydrogen fluoride – a highly toxic and corrosive gas.
Said Mr Khan: “A person may develop skin burn and eye irritation if they come into contact with it. They may get a burning sensation in their throat and lungs, and face breathing difficulties.”
He said PMD users should consider purchasing lithium fire blankets, which can help contain fire and smoke.
These blankets have labels indicating they are meant for battery fires and can cost upwards of $500 for a 1.5m by 1.5m sheet.
No more PMDs
After the incident, the family moved to another rental flat nearby.
An Aljunied-Hougang Town Council spokesman said it helped remove the burnt furniture and appliances, and washed and repainted the area outside the unit.
On Oct 26, 2024, the family returned to their flat and are now waiting to move into their three-room Tampines BTO apartment in 2025.
Through crowdfunding and MediSave, Ms Norhayani managed to pay Mr Asif’s $27,000 medical bill.
He now uses a bicycle to send their daughter to school in the morning.
In the evenings, Ms Norhayani takes public transport to pick her daughter up.
Mr Asif can now walk after undergoing physiotherapy, but still feels pain in his heels.
The fire left its traces on the flat and on Ms Norhayani’s family.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
The fire has had a psychological impact on the family.
Ms Norhayani said: “When we moved back, we kept waking up from the noise of passing cars. Every time I heard a noise, I would jump up and say, ‘Something’s wrong’.
“My daughter is still traumatised by loud noises. Whenever she hears a plane fly past, she’ll jump. She doesn’t fully understand what happened that night, and asks why I threw her out of the window.”
She added: “No more PMDs for our family.”
Members of the public can find out more about the dangers of using non-compliant AMDs and get safety tips from LTA’s Be Device-Safe information pack at https://go.gov.sg/bedevicesafe.
Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court beat.
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Thanks for sharing!