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Flowers were placed outside the River Valley shophouse where a fire occurred on April 8.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Hoon Jeng Jee, Facebook/Bae Bay
PUBLISHED ON April 09, 2025 6:05 PMByHoon Jeng Jee
Floral tributes were paid at the River Valley shophouse where a 10-year-old girl died and 21 others were injured after a fire broke out on Tuesday (April 8).
When AsiaOne reached 278 River Valley Road at noon on Wednesday (April 9), two bouquets were seen at the corner of the shophouse's entrance.
Two bouquets were seen at the corner of the shophouse's entrance.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Hoon Jeng Jee
A bouquet of white and yellow chrysanthemums had a handwritten note in Chinese.
"To the girl who passed away, rest in peace," the note from Venerable Shi Fa Rong said. "May the injured have a speedy recovery."
A few chef hats covered in soot and small, yellow toy pieces were strewn across the shophouse's entrance, which was cordoned off.
A view of the shophouse's entrance.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Liv Hana Roberts
The shophouse's exterior appeared unscathed and its windows were open, but dividers blocked the view of its interior.
Passersby stopped to survey building when they noticed the wreckage, with a few taking pictures before walking away.
Islam Shafiqul was working opposite the shophouse at 257 River Valley Road when the fire happened.
The 32-year-old plumber recalled seeing people sitting on the ledge of the shophouse as smoke billowed out of the windows.
"The first thing we thought was that we have to save them," he told AsiaOne.
Shafiqul said he brought over a mobile scaffolding, which was put on top of a ladder for people to climb up and carry the children down to safety one by one.
He then helped stabilise the scaffolding and said the ordeal was over in about 15 minutes as he left when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived.
"I feel proud because I'm one of the people involved in the rescue," he said.
A SCDF spokesperson said on Wednesday that it is aware that members of the public had assisted in evacuation efforts.
It added that it has reached out to the persons to commend them for their quick-thinking and prompt efforts and will be presenting them with the SCDF Community Lifesaver Award.
SCDF officers were seen surveying nearby shops and taking pictures of adjacent buildings.
Employees from nearby shops told AsiaOne that they were not present during the fire but were told to stay clear of the shophouse.
Following the incident, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said its engineers conducted an inspection of the building and found that its structural integrity was not affected.
It added that the fire did not affect the buildings nearby.
As a precautionary measure, BCA has ordered the building owner to close the affected building and appoint a professional engineer to carry out detailed investigation and recommend rectification works.
The Straits Times reported that Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the girl who died is an Australian.
A spokesperson said: "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Singapore. We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time."
Tomato School, the education centre operating in the shophouse, also made an official statement on Facebook expressing sadness and shock.
The girl who died in the blaze is the fourth fire fatality in 2025.
In January, a family of three died after a Hougang five-room flat caught fire.
According to SCDF's annual statistics, five people died in fires in 2024, up from three in 2023.
singapore
'Rest in peace, girl': Bouquets seen at the scene of River Valley fire where 10-year-old died
Flowers were placed outside the River Valley shophouse where a fire occurred on April 8.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Hoon Jeng Jee, Facebook/Bae Bay
PUBLISHED ON April 09, 2025 6:05 PMByHoon Jeng Jee
Floral tributes were paid at the River Valley shophouse where a 10-year-old girl died and 21 others were injured after a fire broke out on Tuesday (April 8).
When AsiaOne reached 278 River Valley Road at noon on Wednesday (April 9), two bouquets were seen at the corner of the shophouse's entrance.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Hoon Jeng Jee
A bouquet of white and yellow chrysanthemums had a handwritten note in Chinese.
"To the girl who passed away, rest in peace," the note from Venerable Shi Fa Rong said. "May the injured have a speedy recovery."
A few chef hats covered in soot and small, yellow toy pieces were strewn across the shophouse's entrance, which was cordoned off.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Liv Hana Roberts
The shophouse's exterior appeared unscathed and its windows were open, but dividers blocked the view of its interior.
Passersby stopped to survey building when they noticed the wreckage, with a few taking pictures before walking away.
Migrant workers to the rescue
Migrant workers were at the forefront of the rescue as they helped people escape from the third-storey of the shophouse during the fire.Islam Shafiqul was working opposite the shophouse at 257 River Valley Road when the fire happened.
The 32-year-old plumber recalled seeing people sitting on the ledge of the shophouse as smoke billowed out of the windows.
"The first thing we thought was that we have to save them," he told AsiaOne.
Shafiqul said he brought over a mobile scaffolding, which was put on top of a ladder for people to climb up and carry the children down to safety one by one.
He then helped stabilise the scaffolding and said the ordeal was over in about 15 minutes as he left when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived.
"I feel proud because I'm one of the people involved in the rescue," he said.
A SCDF spokesperson said on Wednesday that it is aware that members of the public had assisted in evacuation efforts.
It added that it has reached out to the persons to commend them for their quick-thinking and prompt efforts and will be presenting them with the SCDF Community Lifesaver Award.
The aftermath
The police said that investigations are ongoing within the building.SCDF officers were seen surveying nearby shops and taking pictures of adjacent buildings.
Employees from nearby shops told AsiaOne that they were not present during the fire but were told to stay clear of the shophouse.
Following the incident, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said its engineers conducted an inspection of the building and found that its structural integrity was not affected.
It added that the fire did not affect the buildings nearby.
As a precautionary measure, BCA has ordered the building owner to close the affected building and appoint a professional engineer to carry out detailed investigation and recommend rectification works.
The Straits Times reported that Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the girl who died is an Australian.
A spokesperson said: "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Singapore. We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time."
Tomato School, the education centre operating in the shophouse, also made an official statement on Facebook expressing sadness and shock.
The girl who died in the blaze is the fourth fire fatality in 2025.
In January, a family of three died after a Hougang five-room flat caught fire.
According to SCDF's annual statistics, five people died in fires in 2024, up from three in 2023.
