Sole survivor of Bedok North fire succumbs to injuries after almost 2 years

Jenny Tan, who was the sole survivor of a fatal Bedok North flat fire, died last Sunday (March 24), nearly two years after the tragedy which had claimed the lives of three others, including her husband and their three-year-old daughter.

The early morning fire had ravaged the three-room flat on May 13, 2022, trapping the Malaysian family of three and homeowner Aileen Chan inside the unit.

Chan, a Singaporean film producer and actress, was pronounced dead at the scene while Tan's husband and their daughter later succumbed to their injuries in hospital. 

Tan was reported to be in a critical condition and was in intensive care for eight days before being transferred to a general ward.

Crowdfunding charity Ray of Hope, which raised over $118,000 to help cover Tan's medical bills, said then that the woman had inhaled a significant amount of smoke and was observed to not be fully aware of her surroundings.

Transferred to KL hospital

Two months after the blaze, she was transferred to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur at the request of her family, reported Lianhe Zaobao.

A family member, who declined to be named, told Zaobao that they were heartbroken to see Tan in that condition: "She was fine when we previously met but returned [home] lying in a hospital bed."

Initially holding out hope for Tan to make a full recovery, the family sent for her to undergo CT scans and tests to measure the electrical activity of her brain.

However, the woman remained in a vegetative state. She was brought home, and her family took turns to care for her.

"Although she couldn't move or speak, she could blink. We believe that she was still conscious and could hear us," said the relative.

Death may be a form of liberation: Relative

Tan was bedridden and had to be tube-fed. Over time, she became thinner, and her immune system weakened, according to Zaobao.

Her breathing suddenly slowed on Saturday night, and she died soon after.

Said the relative: "Our family has adjusted our mindset and made mental preparations, but we were still extremely sad when she passed on."

On the other hand, her family feels that her death might be a form of liberation for both them and the victim.

"We were worried that she won't know how to deal with the death of her husband and daughter if she regained full consciousness one day."

Tan will be cremated after the wake, and her ashes placed together with her husband's and daughter's. 

Her parents are both over 60 years old, and she was the second eldest child in the family of four. 

Hundreds of people had earlier attended the funeral service of her husband and child, held on May 22, 2022 in Pahang, Malaysia, reported The Straits Times then.

'I hope her family finds closure'

Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and for National Development, who is also an MP for East Coast GRC, expressed his condolences to Tan's family in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning (March 27). 

"We did our best to support her and her family, through various travel and medical arrangements," he wrote.

"I am very heartened by the kampong spirit displayed by our Kampong Chai Chee residents in the weeks after the fire, as well as grateful for everyone else who stepped forward to provide help and support."

The MP said he last saw Tan during the facilitation of her transfer to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, and would periodically check in with her family on her condition.

"I hope that her family finds closure and that Jenny found peace."

Unattended cigarette caused fire: Coroner

Last November, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda ruled that the deaths of the three flat occupants were an unfortunate misadventure, reported The Straits Times.

The fire had been caused by an unattended lit cigarette belonging to Chan's boyfriend. It had been left on a stack of cardboard boxes for 10 to 15 minutes before it was disposed of.

But ash and embers could have already fallen onto the material, and the lit cigarette may have touched the box, causing it to smoulder.

There was no foul play involved, said State Coroner Nakhoda then.

ALSO READ: Toddler killed in Bedok North flat fire had been in Singapore for only 3 days

lim.kewei@asiaone.com