Race Course Road flat fire: 2 policemen pried open locked HDB gate with bare hands to save elderly woman
One of the officers said that it was the most dangerous operation he has taken part in since joining the police force.
On Monday evening, Aug. 3, a fire erupted at a fifth-floor HDB flat on Race Course Road. This flat housed a family of five, aged between 55 and 88, who were trapped inside. Police officers Sergeant Rafhan and Sergeant Afiq, from Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre, arrived at the scene as the fire was still ongoing. Upon their arrival, they discovered a visibly distressed elderly woman in her 70s, drenched in soot and panic-stricken.
Rafhan and Afiq, despite the thick smoke, managed to coax the woman out of the unit while providing verbal instructions to avoid inhaling the harmful fumes. The locked metal HDB gate proved to be the biggest obstacle. While Rafhan attempted to break the gate using his baton, Afiq decided to forcibly pry the gate open with all his strength. He described the hot metal gate as "like a baking tray that had just come out of the oven".
With the gate finally open, the officers swiftly entered the burning flat, each supporting one side of the frail elderly woman, carrying her safely out of the inferno. Afiq carried her in his arms, rushing her towards the lift lobby. The fire had not yet spread beyond the flat and the lift was operational. They took the lift down to the first floor and handed the woman over to SCDF paramedics, who provided her with emergency treatment.
The elderly woman remained silent throughout the rescue, likely in shock. Once the emergency rescue was completed, Rafhan and Afiq cordoned off the area downstairs and assisted in evacuating about 50 residents from the block. Investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
