Suspect in Jurong West blaze charged, allegedly used styrofoam boxes to start fire
Lim Ying Siang, the suspect behind the Jurong West fire, arriving in court on Saturday (Oct 15). Photo: Jason Quah
SINGAPORE — A 41-year-old Singaporean man was charged on Saturday (Oct 15) for allegedly using styrofoam boxes to set fire to a wet market at Jurong West St 41. The fire on Tuesday destroyed the market.
Lim Ying Siang allegedly set fire to the styrofoam boxes knowing that it would likely cause the destruction of the market, according to a court document.
Lim was wearing a white and grey striped polo t-shirt when brought to court. He will be remanded for a week for investigation, for the recovery of evidence. His case will be heard again on Oct 21.
For the offence of mischief by fire with intent to destroy a building, he faces life imprisonment, or up to 10 years’ jail, and a fine.
The fire, which broke out at around 2.42am on Tuesday, caused the roof of the wet market at Block 493 to collapse and badly damage an adjacent coffee shop. About 45 stallholders were affected, and they have been offered S$500 each in financial aid. They have also been given a list of stalls nearby where they can resume their business, as it might take a year to rebuild the wet market.
The police said in a press release on Friday that investigations began right after the fire. After the suspect was identified, he was arrested on Thursday at Jurong West Street 41 — where the market is located.
When TODAY visited the market on Saturday, there was a smell of rotting perishables around the cordoned area. Notices dated Friday on the closure order of the Building and Construction Authority, put up by the Jurong Central Citizens' Consultative Committee and signed off by the ward's Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng, explained that the burnt site was cordoned off for safety reasons. As a result, debris in the area could not be cleared, resulting in a stench. Agencies are expediting the clearance of debris, Mr Ang wrote.
When shown photos of Lim, several unaffected stall holders and residents said they did not recognise him, although one stall owner claimed to have heard talk of Lim often being sighted in the area.
