SINGAPORE — A tentage contractor has been issued a summons by the Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC) for obstructing a service road leading to Block 91 Henderson Road where a fire broke out on Dec 8 last year with a funeral tentage.

This led to an 18-minute delay in firefighting operations, which ended in the death of a 19-year-old full-time Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) national serviceman, Edward H Go.

In response to TODAY’s queries, a spokesperson for the town council, which oversees the block, said on Monday (Jan 9) evening that the tentage was erected on the evening of Dec 7 by a third-party contractor engaged by a family member of the deceased.

The fire broke out the next morning.

“The tentage was erected on the service road. There are signages on-site to inform the public to keep service roads free of obstruction,” said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson added that the Town Council's (Common Property and Open Spaces) by-laws also list the rules for the use of common property, such as the service road, and that its officers do conduct “regular inspections on the ground”.

The town council did not state the name of the contractor or the details of the summons, but the contractor was identified by Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao as Tai Tiong Red White Metal Tents Centre.

On Monday, Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim revealed in Parliament that firefighting operations had been delayed by a funeral tentage.

Nevertheless, Associate Professor Faishal added that it was premature to determine what led to Go’s death at this time, and that an "independent, thorough investigation" will be done by the police.

On Dec 8 at about 11.10am, SCDF was alerted to a fire on the fourth floor of Block 91 Henderson Road.

As firefighters entered the smoke-logged flat to put out the fire, Go fell unconscious in the kitchen area.

His colleagues immediately took him out of the unit to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on him. The serviceman was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

He is the first SCDF personnel to die in firefighting operations.

Assoc Prof Faishal said that SCDF officers responding to the incident found that the fire engine accessway leading to Block 91 Henderson Road was obstructed by a tent where a funeral wake was being held.

Officers had to remove the bollards that were padlocked to the ground near the tentage to create an access route, which delayed their arrival by 18 minutes.