Singapore — A fire at a popular hawker centre has left a couple facing uncertainty as they await word on when they can reopen, potentially losing income with each passing day. The blaze broke out while the stall owner, Mr. Teo, was outside the premises.
Hawker Stall Closure Follows Kitchen Fire
A kitchen fire has shuttered a Singaporean hawker stall and neighboring businesses, leaving the owners grappling with lost revenue and repair costs.
- A fire erupted at a hawker stall on Wednesday, forcing the closure of five businesses.
- The stall owner reported a wok of hot oil was left on the stove with the flame off when the fire started.
- The couple estimates around S$2,400 (US$1,900) in damages to equipment and ingredients.
- Reopening is uncertain, with a previously suggested timeframe of January 10-12 now in doubt.
According to Mr. Teo, a wok of hot oil was on the stove, but the flame had been turned off when the fire broke out. When a reporter visited the hawker centre on Wednesday, his stall and the four adjacent stalls in the same row remained closed pending electrical and ventilation system inspections.
Q: What caused the hawker stall to close?
A: A fire broke out in the kitchen, forcing the closure of the stall and four neighboring businesses while safety checks are conducted on electrical and ventilation systems.
Soot marks were visible around the stove, and the refrigerators and shelves had been emptied of their usual supplies. Burn marks were also apparent on the ventilation system above the affected area.
When asked if Mr. Teo felt responsible for the fire, his wife, Mdm Saowanee, said he hadn’t discussed it with her. “I did tell him it cannot be helped that this happened,” she recalled, noting his quiet response.
Their daughter, Kelly Teo, previously expressed the family’s concerns, stating they no longer felt comfortable with Mr. Teo running the stall alone due to his age. However, there’s no firm timeline for when they’ll receive approval to reopen.
Each day of closure translates to lost earnings, and the couple is unsure how they will recover their financial losses. The hawker association’s vice-chair had initially suggested a potential reopening between January 10 and 12, but that timeframe remains uncertain.
