Singapore: Four Indian migrant workers who displayed amazing courage during a massive fire in Singapore have been honoured by the government. These workers played a key role in rescuing 16 children and 6 adults trapped in a shophouse after a fire broke out. During the incident, these workers not only helped without caring for their lives but also displayed an inspiring humanity.
The four Indian workers honoured are – Indrajit Singh, Subramanyam Saranraj, Nagarajan Anbarasan and Sivasamy Vijayraj. All of them were awarded the “Friends of ACE” award of the Singapore Ministry of Manpower, given by the ACE (Assurance, Care and Engagement) group working for the welfare of migrant workers.
How this brave rescue operation happened
On the morning of April 8, a fire broke out in a shophouse located on River Valley Road in Singapore. Hearing the children’s cries on the third floor of the shophouse, the four migrant workers lost no time and rushed to the fire, carrying scaffolding and ladders from their workplace. The shop was a “tomato cooking school” where cooking classes are conducted. The workers used scaffolding to reach the shop window and formed a human chain to lower the children one by one to safety.
Notably, they were not wearing any kind of safety harness or rescue equipment. Their sole aim was to save lives.
“We too have children, we couldn’t keep quiet”
Recalling the incident, 34-year-old Subramanian Saranraj, a resident of Tamil Nadu, said, “When we saw the children screaming for help, we rushed without thinking. We too have children. If our children were trapped like this, would we have stood quietly?” His colleague Nagarajan Anbarasan (age 37) echoed the same sentiment. They said they could not go up the stairs because of the fire and smoke, so they decided to rescue the children through the window.
10 children saved in 10 minutes
By the time the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived on the scene, these workers had rescued 10 children safely. Unfortunately, a 10-year-old Australian girl, who was rescued from the smoke, died in hospital.
Number of victims and shophouse flaws
A total of 22 people were injured in the accident — 16 children (aged 6 to 10 years) and 6 adults (aged 23 to 55 years). SCDF later said the second floor of the shophouse, where the fire started, was being used as a storage area. Violations of fire safety rules have been found, which are being investigated.
Appreciation from the government and society
The Singapore government openly praised the quick response and courageous actions of these four brave men. The Ministry of Manpower said in a statement “Their bravery made a huge difference and showed how powerful community unity can be in times of need.”
What these migrant workers did is not just an example of bravery, but also of selfless service and compassion. This incident has become a source of pride and inspiration for thousands of NRIs working in Singapore. These four proved that to become a hero, one needs humanity and courage, not uniform.
