Heartbroken partner mourns lifelong companion lost to subdivided flat blaze

A fatal fire tore through a subdivided flat in Jordan on Thursday night, leaving a 69-year-old mobility-impaired man dead and four others injured, highlighting the persistent concerns over the safety of the city's cramped subdivided housing blocks.

The tragedy unfolded at Man Yuen Building on Ferry Street around 10pm, shortly after the victim's long-term partner of over three decades had left their home to collect cardboard for their livelihood. 

Upon being alerted to the blaze, the woman rushed back upstairs to find their bedroom already engulfed in thick smoke and flames.

She discovered her partner, identified as Chu, had fallen from his bed. 

Despite sustaining burns to her hands, she desperately tried to drag him out of the unit but lacked the physical strength to move him. 

Firefighters arrived shortly after, but due to the rapid spread of the fire and smoke, they were initially forced to prioritize evacuations in adjacent units, leaving the woman devastated by the loss of her lifelong companion.

Initial observations by the victim's partner suggested the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault near the bed, where multiple plugs were located next to pillows. 

Neighbors recalled hearing cries for help amid the dense smoke filling the corridors, with some reporting that the building's fire alarms failed to sound during the initial breakout. 

The intensity of the smoke trapped several residents inside their apartments, forcing them to seal their doors with wet towels while awaiting rescue as approximately 300 residents were eventually evacuated from the building.

The incident has renewed intense scrutiny on the living conditions of subdivided flats, particularly as the building was undergoing major renovations at the time.

Lawmakers visiting the scene noted that the narrow corridors common in such partitioned units pose significant evacuation risks.

They emphasized that property owners bear a fundamental responsibility to ensure adequate fire safety measures, such as providing visible extinguishers and maintaining clear escape routes, especially ahead of tighter upcoming government regulations on subdivided spaces.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓