On 22 March, 2018, a horrific fire broke out on a yacht at ONE°15 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove. 15 people were taken to hospital. 3 of them, including a baby, suffered burn injuries.
It was earlier reported that a maid had used her own body to shield the baby from fire.
But now, a different picture has emerged, after the baby's parents came forward to share details of their ordeal.
Singapore baby suffers burns in fire
The baby's parents recently revealed to Lianhe Wanbao, about what had happened on the ill-fated day.
Mr Tu Zhen Yi, the baby's father and owner of the yacht, said that he had brought his family to the yacht that afternoon to celebrate his birthday.
Apparently, at the time of the incident, his wife and older daughter were seated at the wheel. One maid was sitting down and carrying the sleeping baby, while the other maid was fanning the two.
There seemed to be a technical issue, as the yacht tanks could not be filled. Technicians, worried about a possible leak, advised to inspect the engine.
Mr. Tu followed their instructions, and took appropriate safety measures. However, there was a disaster when he started the engine.
A loud explosion happened.
Mum reveals what happened next
The baby's mother, Mrs Tu has been quoted as saying, "It all happened too fast. I turned around and both the maids were nowhere to be found. My husband grabbed our daughter and asked me to run."
“We ran out and saw that there was a black ‘mass’ lying on the deck.”
To the mummy's horror, she realised that the "black mass" was her baby son, who had been blackened by all the soot and smoke. He was lying face down, right beside the burning engine."
“I immediately grabbed my son. Along with my husband who was carrying our daughter, we fled the burning yacht.”
An in-house emergency response team from Marina Club tackled the fire, before SCDF officers arrived to put it out. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
Both Mr. & Mrs Tu believe that the baby was abandoned there on the deck by the maids, while running for their lives.
We hope that the little baby recovers soon...
How to treat a fire burn
Children’s bodies heat up and lose heat much faster than adults. Which is why it is so important to know what to do in case of a burn or thermal injury. Here is how to treat a fire burn:
- Remove your child from the heat source.
- Cool the affected area with cold water or cold compresses until pain is reduced or alleviated.
- If a blister has formed, do not break it.
- Protect the burn with a dry, sterile, gauze bandage or with a clean bed sheet or cloth.
- Remove constrictive clothing immediately. Take off jewellery, belts, and tight clothing.
If your child’s clothing is stuck to the burned area, do not attempt to remove it. Instead, cut around the clothing leaving the burn intact.
- Do not apply any ointments, oils, or sprays to the burned area.
- If your child has burns on the hand, foot, face, eyes, or groin, or those that cover a large area, seek medical attention or dial 999 for emergency medical attention.
Also READ: Singapore baby scalded after grandmother accidentally spills boiling water
(Source: Lianhe Wanbao, Stomp)