Cleaner's throat burned so badly, she can't talk
Mum of 2 hurt in kitchen explosion that killed cook
By Chong Shin Yen
April 20, 2007
His routine is punishing, shuttling between Singapore General Hospital and his home.
But Mr Wong can't bear to leave his wife's side.
Madam Koh Bee Lian, 45, a cleaner, was left with 35 per cent burns when a fire erupted in the kitchen of Teo Ann Huay Kuan, a clan association, where she works.
The Teochew clan association is located in a seven-storey building along Lorong 8 Geylang.
The fire broke out on 9 Apr at about 8am. The burns on her body and face were so bad that Mr Wong couldn't recognise her initially.
Since the incident, he has been keeping a vigil at the Intensive Care Unit of Singapore General Hospital's Burns Unit.
Mr Wong, a taxi driver who did not want to give his full name, said that his wife's throat was also badly burnt. He said: 'She is still unable to talk but will nod her head when I speak to her. She will cry when relatives visit her.'
Madam Koh's colleague, Mr Tan Jwee Kong, 73, a cook, was also in the kitchen at that time.
A bachelor, he suffered 65 per cent burns and died in hospital last Friday.
A day before his death, a 48-year-old man was charged with causing grievous hurt by means of fire. (See report.)
Mr Wong told The New Paper that after the explosion, his wife managed to scramble out of the ground-floor kitchen. 'When she called me, she was crying in pain then.'
Mr Tan and Madam Koh, who were both conscious, were later taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Mr Wong said: 'I can't even bear to think that she might be disfigured for the rest of her life.'
He added that the first few days after the incident, she had to breathe with the aid of a respirator. 'But now, she can breathe slowly on her own,' he said.
They have been married for 15 years and have a son and a daughter in secondary school. The children have also been visiting their mother.
Mr Wong has stopped working since she was warded last Monday so that he can be with her.
Mr Wong said: 'Every time I look at her, my heart aches. It really pains me a lot to see her suffering like that. She was a jovial and kind-hearted person.'
Madam Koh worked at the clan association three days a week. She had been working there for about four years.
When The New Paper contacted the clan, an employee confirmed the incident and said that the kitchen was not badly damaged. The employee added that the kitchen was not accessible to outsiders.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...28099,00.html? 
Cleaner's throat burned so badly, she can't talk 
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