An engineer who was trying to light two aromatherapy diffusers in his master bedroom toilet unknowingly ignited vapours from “essential oils”, causing a flash fire, a coroner’s court heard yesterday.

Mohammad Rizalludin Hassan, 34, suffered second-degree burns to 80 per cent of his body from the blaze last year. He died in hospital nine days later.

Details of the Oct 13 fire emerged on the first day of the coroner’s inquiry into his death.

Mr Rizalludin went to light the Avita diffusers at about 9.30pm. Shortly after, his wife and mother-in-law, who were in the master bedroom, heard a loud explosion.

Juraidah Nabi, 53, his mother-in-law, saw a 1m trail of fire on the floor. She and her daughter, Nurul Asyikin Norman, 34, then saw Mr Rizalludin engulfed in flames. They smothered the flames with blankets and called an ambulance.

He started pacing around the living room in a bid to ease his pain, the court heard. His body was red and bleeding. He could not see clearly and found it hard to breathe.

He was taken to the National University Hospital and, the next day, sent to the Singapore General Hospital’s burns unit, where he underwent cadaveric skin and bone grafts, among other procedures.

But on Oct 20, he got pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and hypotension, and his condition gradually worsened.

A fire investigator said the blaze started at the vanity top in the toilet where the diffusers and two lighters were kept. The remnants of a 5l bottle of essential oil were found on the toilet floor. The lowest temperature at which the liquid’s vapours would ignite was 16 deg C.

The inquiry also heard that the diffusers’ brand owner, Shiang’s International, required buyers to attend a safety briefing. But Ms Nurul Asyikin said she was never told of one.

After the fatal fire, the company put up a safety video on its website.

A previous accident with the diffuser, which it released in 2007, was recorded in 2014 when a staff member suffered minor burns.

Shiang’s operations manager, Chok Wai Chen, will testify when the inquiry resumes at a later date.

amirh@sph.com.sg

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It’s a car-rental, car-sharing and chauffeur service all rolled into one – and it is shaping up to be another rival to traditional taxi operations.

Two-month-old Tribecar, set up by a family which runs Malaysian conglomerate Insas, is offering short-term car rentals ranging from $2 to $6 an hour.

That is a fraction of what other car-sharing plans charge, and far less onerous than the $1,500 a month most traditional rental companies levy. It is even lower than any taxi flagdown fare.

Tribecar currently has a modest fleet of 23 cars (mainly Toyota Corolla Altis sedans which are five years or older), and has signed up 210 hirers who place a $100 refundable deposit with the operator.

Tribecar director Thong Mei Chuen said: “So far, no one has asked for their deposit back.”

Ms Thong, 34, who runs the start-up with her brother Weng Sheng, 26, said: “We noticed an underserved group of hirers – those who want ultra short-term rentals.

“They range from mums dropping their kids off or doing grocery shopping to night-shift workers, who may pick up a couple of Uber jobs to offset the cost of rental.”

An investment banker for 10 years before starting Tribecar, Ms Thong said business has been encouraging, with fleet occupancy hovering at 60 to 70 per cent.

Tribecar aims to grow its fleet to 500 cars by the end of this year, and is looking to tie up with other rental firms.

By the time it hits 200 cars, Ms Thong said hirers will no longer have to return the vehicle to its original pick-up point and can simply leave it near their destination. Another hirer in the vicinity will pick up the car.

Ms Thong said the fleet has to be of a certain size for this operating model to work. Right now, its 23 cars are parked in high-demand areas such as HDB towns.

Tribecar uses a system that allows hirers to access cars just with their smartphone. Once a hirer books a vehicle at a desired location and time slot, he can unlock it by keying in a PIN on their phone.

Payment is via an e-wallet account with the company.

Ms Thong said the majority of Tribecar hirers offer paid rides through one of the many third-party ride-booking apps here.

Tribecar claims all its vehicles have the proper documentation and insurance for such services.

Car-Sharing Association (Singapore) president Lai Meng said the new start-up was “inevitable”, adding: “It is an under-served market and there’s plenty of room for growth.”

Tribecar is believed to be the first car-sharing outfit that allows its hirers to offer paid rides.

christan@sph.com.sg

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The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading surged to 91 at 8pm last night, the highest this year.

The 24-hour PSI reading was between 65 and 78, which is within the moderate range of 51 to 100. The highest readings were logged in the central and south of Singapore.

The three-hour measure was in the range of 60s in the morning and early afternoon, before surging in the evening to peak at 91.

The one-hour PM2.5 reading ranged from 22 in the west to 79 in the south of Singapore at 8pm. It was 57 in the north, 31 in the east, and 72 in the central region.

PM2.5 pollutants are fine particulates that are no larger than 2.5 microns, or a thirtieth the diameter of a human hair. These can become trapped deep in the lungs and are tiny enough to pass through linings into the bloodstream.

Air quality in Singapore has deteriorated in the last two days, and a burning smell could be detected in many areas.

The pollution is likely to have come from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo or even Singapore’s own backyard, experts say.

chuimin@sph.com.sg

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