Man to be charged in connection with Jurong West fire
The remains of a market destroyed by a fire in Jurong West on Oct 11, 2016. Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY
SINGAPORE — A man will be charged for allegedly having a hand in causing the blaze that devastated a wet market and coffee shop in Jurong, leaving close to 50 stallholders in a fix over their livelihoods.
The man, 41, was arrested on Thursday (Oct 13) after two days of investigations by the police. He will be charged on Saturday with the offence of mischief by fire with intent to destroy a building, an offence that carries life imprisonment, or up to 10 years’ jail, and a fine.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, caused the roof of the wet market at Block 493 to collapse and badly damage the coffee shop. About 45 stallholders were affected, and they have been offered S$500 each in financial aid. They were also given a list of stalls nearby where they can resume their business, as it might take a year to rebuild the wet market.
The police said in a press release on Friday that investigations began right after the fire. After the suspect was identified, he was arrested on Thursday at Jurong West Street 41 — where the market is located.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Koh Wei Keong, Commander of Jurong Division, said that the fire was a “serious crime which had resulted in extensive damage to property and loss of income to innocent victims”, and the police have “zero tolerance for such lawless acts”.
The news of his arrest brought scant relief to the affected stallholders TODAY spoke to.
Madam Noorlin Rahman, 50, who ran a nasi padang stall at the coffee shop at Block 494, which also sustained damage, said: “Even though he was caught, it doesn’t save anything.”
Mdm Loh Kah Heok, 62, who ran a carrot cake stall at Block 493, said it was “no use blaming anyone”. “We just hope that the market can be quickly rebuilt, so we can (get our livelihoods) back,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said it began work on Friday to prop up the structure at Block 493. Once the work is completed and the appointed Professional Engineer has confirmed that the site is safe, HDB will arrange for the stallholders to enter to retrieve their belongings.
HDB and the National Environment Agency have also intensified efforts to upkeep the site, including clearing of debris as well as carrying out daily disinfection and anti-mosquito treatment. For the safety of the residents, the premises remain closed and hoarded up, HDB said.
