Marine Crescent fatal blaze: 67-year-old victim identified

Marine Crescent fatal blaze: 67-year-old victim identified

The smell of smoke still remained in the air on Sunday near a 10th-storey flat where a blaze killed a 67-year-old resident.

Mr Joseph Tay, who was visually impaired, was home alone when the fire broke out at his unit in Marine Crescent in eastern Singapore at around 9.30am last Saturday.

Police tape was strung across the charred entrance of the flat and flowers had been placed in a corner.

Mr Tay lived with his wife but she was not in the flat when the tragedy occurred.

Firefighters took 45 minutes to douse the flames, which had spread to the living room and two bedrooms of the five-room flat in Block 27.

Relatives at Mr Tay's wake on Sunday asked for privacy.

Spokesmen for both the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the police said they were still investigating the cause of the fire.

The residents of the block said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is an MP for Marine Parade GRC, made his rounds again Sunday morning to check on their well-being.

Madam Joanna Lee, 67, who lives on the 17th floor of the block, said of his visit: "He asked how we were doing and also discussed a possible contingency plan, where a main leader in each block has the contact details of all the other residents in case anything happens."

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