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At least four adults and 15 children were hospitalised after a fire broke out at a "shophouse" in Singapore's River Valley Road on Tuesday morning as per the country's state-owned CNA, which cited the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Among those hospitalised was Mark Shankar, the younger son of Jana Sena Party president and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The party, in an official statement, said that the fire reportedly caused injuries to Shankar's hands and legs, and the boy was immediately transferred to a local hospital where he is receiving treatment. The Singapore media outlet CNA said that videos of the incident posted on social media, showed children sitting on a third-storey ledge as plumes of black smoke billowed. Bystanders, including some construction workers, can be been seen climbing scaffolding in an attempt to rescue them. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said in a statement on Facebook that it was alerted to a fire at 278 River Valley Road at about 9.45 am (local time) SCDF noted that upon its arrival, "The fire was raging on the second and third floors of a 3-storey shophouse." The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes using three water jets as per the CNA report. About 80 people from the affected shophouse and nearby premises were evacuated. Shophouses are a prevalent building type in Singapore's architectural and built heritage. These buildings are generally two- to three- storeys high, built in contiguous blocks with common party walls. They are narrow, small terraced houses, with a sheltered 'five foot' pedestrian way at the front. "A total of 19 casualties (four adults and 15 children) were conveyed to the hospital", SCDF said. CNA noted that the affected building is an education centre for young children, according to signage seen in the videos. Singapore's Civil Defence Force shared that the cause of the fire is under investigation and extended thanks to members of the civil society who assisted in the rescue of the stranded persons for their quick actions and bravery. Meanwhile, the JanaSena party said in an official statement that Pawan Kalyan, who is presently on an official tour of Alluri Sitarama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh, has been advised by party leaders and officials to shorten his trip and head to Singapore to be with his son. Pawan Kalyan clarified that he had given his word to the tribal people of Kuridi village, near Araku, promising to visit them. He stated that he would first visit the village, interact with the locals to understand their issues, and complete the scheduled development program inaugurations before departing. (ANI)
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