River Valley fire: 4 migrant workers awarded for saving kids

The migrant workers who aided in rescue efforts during the River Valley shophouse fire on Tuesday (April 8) have received awards from the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) group, which supports migrant workers.

A group of migrant workers were the first to rush to the scene when the fire broke out, assisting in rescuing people from the third-storey window ledge of the shophouse.

A 10-year-old girl died and 21 others were injured in this incident.

MOM said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (April 9) that four of these migrant workers were recognised for their selfless courage.

"Their quick thinking and bravery made all the difference... Thank you for reminding us of the power of community in times of need," MOM said. 

Inderjit Singh, Subramanian Saranraj, Nagarajan Anbarasan, and Sivasami Vijayaraj received their Friends of ACE coins on April 9.

The four men had carried scaffolding across the road, set it up in front of the shophouse and stabilised it while the occupants were carried down, according to a Facebook post by ACE group on Wednesday (April 9).

"I have two children at home. When I saw the children's faces and crying, I just thought 'We need to help'," supervisor Subramanian Saranraj said.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also announced on Tuesday that it will be awarding the SCDF Community Lifesaver Award to those who aided in rescue efforts.

These awards come after many netizens showered praise on the migrant workers and called for their efforts to be recognised.

Several online comments have also identified the workers involved in Tuesday's rescue efforts to be under Globalpoint Far East. 

AsiaOne has reached out to the construction company for comment.

Fire safety breaches found: SCDF 

Separately, SCDF said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that preliminary findings indicate that the fire likely originated from a storage area on the second storey of the shophouse.

"Preliminary investigations also found fire safety non-compliances, including unauthorised works involving the erection of partitions within the premises," said SCDF.

It added that responsible parties may face a fine of up to $200,000, imprisonment of up to 24 months, or both.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

jengjee.hoon@asiaone.com

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