Bukit Ho Swee Fire 1961
Source: roots.sg The Bukit Ho Swee Fire was a conflagration that broke out in the squatter settlement of Bukit Ho Swee, Singapore on 25 May 1961. This fire killed 2 people and injured another 54. It also destroyed more than 2,800 houses around Bukit Ho Swee area, leaving around 16,000 people homeless and the cause of this conflagration was never established. The Bukit Ho Swee fire was the biggest outbreak of fire in Singapore's history. The scale of the destruction of property sparked an emergency project to construct and resettle the people affected by this disaster. This first public housing project, led by the newly formed Housing and Development Board, is considered a pivotal point in the development of public housing of Singapore. Background After World War 2, many low-income Chinese families were forced to move out of Singapore's city centre. Coupled with the rise in the number of Chinese immigrants e...