A tragic incident occurred at a cooking school in Singapore, where a fire led to the death of a 10-year-old Australian girl. The blaze broke out on Tuesday morning at the Tomato Cooking School located on River Valley Road, prompting emergency services to rush five adults and fifteen children to nearby hospitals. Despite medical efforts, the young girl succumbed to her injuries.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) offered condolences and is providing support to the girl’s family during this difficult time. Due to privacy obligations, they did not disclose additional details.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received reports of the fire around 9:45 AM. Many participants, trapped by flames, had to be rescued from a third-storey ledge by construction workers using scaffolding and ladders, before firefighters completed the rescue. The fire was extinguished within half an hour, and officials managed to evacuate about 80 people from the building, which primarily hosts cooking camps for children.
The cooking school expressed its shock and sorrow, assuring that they are collaborating with authorities to investigate the cause of the fire. In a statement, they extended their condolences to all affected families and highlighted their commitment to assisting with ongoing investigations.
Investigations by the SCDF have revealed that the fire likely originated from a storage area on the second floor. They discovered multiple fire safety violations, including unauthorised modifications such as partitions within the premises. The SCDF emphasised the serious nature of these non-compliances as they pose substantial risks to safety and may result in significant legal penalties for the responsible parties, including fines up to $200,000 or imprisonment.
The inquiry into the unfortunate fire incident continues as the community mourns the loss of a young life and grapples with the ramifications of the safety oversights that contributed to this disaster.