Singapore. Tues. Eight people—three of them women-died after being trapped in an attic(顶楼) when the fire gutted(损坏) their two-storey terrace house yesterday.
In the tragedy about thirty-six people were sleeping in the building when the fire,started by a short circuit,broke out. Most of them managed to rush out in time.
One of the first to leave the building was Miss Poh,nineteen,a factory worker. who was awakened from her sleep by shouts of“Fire!”shortly after 3:10 a.m..
She said,“I shouted to the other tenants to get out. By this time,the first floor was in flames and I could hear people crying and screaming. Someone brought a ladder and placed it against the wall,but it only went up as far as the first floor. There was no hope for those trapped in the attic.”
One man who did escape from the attic told reporters that he could only save himself by going through the ventilation(通风) opening in the roof and climbing to an adjoining building.
Chen Meng,twenty,a fitter,wept as he recalled how he had to leave his parents behind. He said,“When I tried to return for my parents,I was driven back by the thick smoke and the heat.”
Shortly after the blaze was spotted,three fire engines raced to the scene and by
4a.m. had the fire under control.
The MP for the area visited the scene and said,“The landlord was wrong to rent out rooms irresponsibly:He has not given due thought to the safety of his tenants.”
1. The fire started ____.
A after Miss Poh awoke from her sleep
B at about 3a.m.
C in the daytime
D quite some time after 3:10 a.m.
