Man, aged 30, dies in freak accident
Vincent Tan was on his usual afternoon stroll at the Bukit Batok Nature Reserve yesterday. Nobody would believe that that would be his last walk. The afternoon was unusually hot, with temperatures soaring up to 32 degrees Celsius. Bush fires sprang up all over the island. According to eye-witnesses, the bush fire at Point B of Bukit Batok Reserve had started with a smouldering cigarette being thrown into the patch of dry grass. It happened all of a sudden and spread in a flash.
The people present were all able to walk briskly and out of the reserve. Mr Tan CK, a retiree in his 60s and also a neighbour of Vincent, noticed Vincent Tan trudging wearily and nudged him to quicken his steps but to no avail. Vincent who is overweight, could not keep up. That was the last time anyone saw him.
Two fire engines arrived and tried to put out the bush fire. Due to the unusually hot weather, it took 20 whole minutes to put it out. Another eye witness, Mrs Chin, was all hysterical as she tried to recount the series of events. “I kept telling the firemen that someone was still inside the reserve. I was so worried! I kept praying that nothing would happen to him.”
Finally, the firemen managed to get into the reserve but it was too late. They retrieved a charred body with shrivelled bones and a skull. “I almost fainted. It was very scary!” continued Mrs Chin. The body has been sent to the forensic laboratory for investigations.
Speaking to expert Mr John Whisley of the NUH, such freak accidents rarely occur. “It is hard to believe that a bush fire could lead to spontaneous human combustion. Usually, people escape safely or with minor injuries. It is likely that Vincent Tan died because he was not physically fit enough to get out of the situation.”
The National Park Board is conducting their own enquiries to avoid future mishap. They are also increasing their patrol on parks to ensure that all bush fires are kept at bay. This is certainly a very sad freak accident.
Vincent Tan was on his usual afternoon stroll at the Bukit Batok Nature Reserve yesterday. Nobody would believe that that would be his last walk. The afternoon was unusually hot, with temperatures soaring up to 32 degrees Celsius. Bush fires sprang up all over the island. According to eye-witnesses, the bush fire at Point B of Bukit Batok Reserve had started with a smouldering cigarette being thrown into the patch of dry grass. It happened all of a sudden and spread in a flash.
The people present were all able to walk briskly and out of the reserve. Mr Tan CK, a retiree in his 60s and also a neighbour of Vincent, noticed Vincent Tan trudging wearily and nudged him to quicken his steps but to no avail. Vincent who is overweight, could not keep up. That was the last time anyone saw him.
Two fire engines arrived and tried to put out the bush fire. Due to the unusually hot weather, it took 20 whole minutes to put it out. Another eye witness, Mrs Chin, was all hysterical as she tried to recount the series of events. “I kept telling the firemen that someone was still inside the reserve. I was so worried! I kept praying that nothing would happen to him.”
Finally, the firemen managed to get into the reserve but it was too late. They retrieved a charred body with shrivelled bones and a skull. “I almost fainted. It was very scary!” continued Mrs Chin. The body has been sent to the forensic laboratory for investigations.
Speaking to expert Mr John Whisley of the NUH, such freak accidents rarely occur. “It is hard to believe that a bush fire could lead to spontaneous human combustion. Usually, people escape safely or with minor injuries. It is likely that Vincent Tan died because he was not physically fit enough to get out of the situation.”
The National Park Board is conducting their own enquiries to avoid future mishap. They are also increasing their patrol on parks to ensure that all bush fires are kept at bay. This is certainly a very sad freak accident.
