Award for 6 who saved lives in fire

SINGAPORE - Cleaner Rahman Md Arifur was at the void deck of Block 115 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 on Friday morning when he saw two men jumping from the second floor.

He looked up to see two other people balancing on a ledge, hanging onto bamboo-pole holders outside a window on the second floor, with black smoke billowing behind them.

The 31-year-old immediately alerted the cleaner in charge of the area, Mr Abu Repon Abu Koddus.

When Mr Repon, 38, arrived, he fetched a ladder from a nearby block.

In the meantime, two other cleaners and two neighbours also rallied to help. They placed discarded mattresses on the ground as a safety measure.

They also moved the two men who had already jumped down, Mr Choon Siew Weng, 56, and the other man, 37, to the void deck for their safety.

When the ladder was placed below Ms Teo Siew Choo and Mr Gan Hwee Sun, the two people who were desperately hanging on to escape the fire, they were too afraid to go down.

"The woman was shivering," Mr Repon said, speaking to the media. "So I climbed up, held her hand, and came down with her. Then I brought the man down."

For their public spiritedness, six individuals, including Mr Rahman and Mr Repon, received awards from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Mr Patrick Perera, who also received the award, was in his kitchen in the opposite block when he heard a loud thud from the two residents jumping down.

He rushed to the scene and was the one who placed the mattresses.

The 36-year-old, who rehabilitates injured horses, said he was only doing his duty as a "fellow human".

3rd Civil Defence Division commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Alvin Tan, in presenting the awards to the recipients, said: "It was your quick thinking and fast response that managed to save two of the lives."

jalmsab@sph.com.sg

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