reporter2
20-01-14, 18:21
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/wednesday/premium/top-the-news/story/two-guards-die-marina-bay-condo-fire-20140115
Two guards die in Marina Bay condo fire
Published on Jan 15, 2014
By Yeo Sam Jo And Priscilla Goy
WHEN a fire alarm went off at the Marina Bay Suites condominium on Monday night, two security guards took a service lift up to the 65th floor to investigate.
As the lift door opened at the floor, one of them shouted over the walkie-talkie: "Fire, fire!"
Those were the last words of Malaysian Sooria Kala Kanaseon, 34, who died along with her colleague - Singaporean Sim Lai Huat, 58 - said Mr Sri Narayan Singh.
Mr Singh, the managing director of security firm Pico Guards, said that the pair - employees of his firm - were likely overwhelmed by the blaze when the lift door opened.
The fire broke out just after 10pm on Monday at the 66-storey residential building.
Firefighters had to break into the service lift lobby of the sole unit on the 65th floor, which was engulfed in flames.
The apartment has been sold, but remains unoccupied.
The fire was put out in little over an hour in an operation involving 50 firefighters and three water jets.
Two charred bodies were found at about 2am yesterday inside the service lift opening.
A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman said the fire involved renovation materials, such as paint, and that the fire was confined to the service lift lobby area.
Residents of the mostly unoccupied luxury condominium were evacuated, but were allowed to return to their homes after SCDF officers reviewed the building's safety early yesterday morning.
Mr Singh said Mr Sim supervised four other security officers who worked at the condominium.
He told The Straits Times yesterday: "Both (victims) responded according to standard procedures. They heard the fire alarm and went to assess if it was a false alarm or not."
When The Straits Times visited Mr Sim's mother, Madam Goh Eng Keow, who is in her 80s, at her Chai Chee flat yesterday, she said that her son had been the closest to her of her eight children.
Mr Sim was married with two daughters and a son.
He had been in the security industry for about 25 years and joined Pico Guards about four months ago.
Ms Sooria Kala, whose husband works in the same company, had been with Pico for about 18 months.
Mr Singh said this was the first time such an incident had happened in Pico Guards' 18-year history.
The firm employs over 500 staff.
It will pay for both victims' funeral expenses and is helping Ms Sooria Kala's family repatriate her body to Malaysia.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Lim Yan Liang
Two guards die in Marina Bay condo fire
Published on Jan 15, 2014
By Yeo Sam Jo And Priscilla Goy
WHEN a fire alarm went off at the Marina Bay Suites condominium on Monday night, two security guards took a service lift up to the 65th floor to investigate.
As the lift door opened at the floor, one of them shouted over the walkie-talkie: "Fire, fire!"
Those were the last words of Malaysian Sooria Kala Kanaseon, 34, who died along with her colleague - Singaporean Sim Lai Huat, 58 - said Mr Sri Narayan Singh.
Mr Singh, the managing director of security firm Pico Guards, said that the pair - employees of his firm - were likely overwhelmed by the blaze when the lift door opened.
The fire broke out just after 10pm on Monday at the 66-storey residential building.
Firefighters had to break into the service lift lobby of the sole unit on the 65th floor, which was engulfed in flames.
The apartment has been sold, but remains unoccupied.
The fire was put out in little over an hour in an operation involving 50 firefighters and three water jets.
Two charred bodies were found at about 2am yesterday inside the service lift opening.
A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman said the fire involved renovation materials, such as paint, and that the fire was confined to the service lift lobby area.
Residents of the mostly unoccupied luxury condominium were evacuated, but were allowed to return to their homes after SCDF officers reviewed the building's safety early yesterday morning.
Mr Singh said Mr Sim supervised four other security officers who worked at the condominium.
He told The Straits Times yesterday: "Both (victims) responded according to standard procedures. They heard the fire alarm and went to assess if it was a false alarm or not."
When The Straits Times visited Mr Sim's mother, Madam Goh Eng Keow, who is in her 80s, at her Chai Chee flat yesterday, she said that her son had been the closest to her of her eight children.
Mr Sim was married with two daughters and a son.
He had been in the security industry for about 25 years and joined Pico Guards about four months ago.
Ms Sooria Kala, whose husband works in the same company, had been with Pico for about 18 months.
Mr Singh said this was the first time such an incident had happened in Pico Guards' 18-year history.
The firm employs over 500 staff.
It will pay for both victims' funeral expenses and is helping Ms Sooria Kala's family repatriate her body to Malaysia.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Lim Yan Liang