Families gathered on April 20 to express gratitude to migrant workers who rescued children from a fire at a River Valley shophouse earlier this month.
A group of workers from India and Bangladesh saved children during a blaze that broke out on April 8 at a five-day cooking camp. The fire resulted in the death of 10-year-old Australian national Freya Ji Yinan and injured 21 others – 15 children and six adults.
When the fire started, children were seen on a ledge outside the third-storey windows of the burning building. The workers quickly built scaffolding from their work site and used ladders to reach those trapped before Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters arrived.
Chinnappa Kannadasan, 32, climbed to the top of a ladder and handed children one by one to other workers who brought them to safety.
“Teachers and children were crying out for help. We had no second thoughts. We had to try and rescue them,” Kannadasan said.
The charity organization ItsRainingRaincoats organized the gathering at their Henderson Road charity store. The event brought together 15 migrant workers and the families of the children they saved.
Liu Ling, 47, cried as she thanked her six-year-old daughter’s rescuers.
“They told me my daughter was unconscious when they rescued her from the third-storey ledge. My daughter is lucky to have had so many heroes here from India and Bangladesh to save her life,” Liu said.
Liu’s daughter was among the youngest survivors at the cooking camp.
“It is a very serious accident. I can’t imagine such an accident happening in Singapore,” she added.
Victor Ordenes, 45, thanked the workers: “If not for you guys, our daughter wouldn’t be with us. You have changed our lives.”
His wife Rebecca said, “It makes me quite emotional thinking what could have happened if not for these men.”
Monica Millington, 34, another parent, said: “Knowing there were strangers willing to risk their lives to help others reminds us that we should be kind to others and help others when we can.”
At the event, attendees gave gifts to the migrant workers. These included clothing from Millington’s menswear business, cash envelopes, goodie bags, and home-baked brownies.
While the workers felt good about the recognition, they expressed sadness about not saving everyone.
Govindaraj Elangeshwaran, 28, one of the rescuers, said: “We were very happy to meet the children we rescued. But, at the same time, we are sad that we could not rescue that one girl who passed away.”
ItsRainingRaincoats has started a fundraising campaign to support the workers, running until May 1.
The charity wrote on its Facebook page that the gathering was “an experience that shook many of us. Their stories were raw, powerful, and unforgettable. And while we came to thank them, they left us inspired.”
