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SINGAPORE – Flowers, clothing and a photograph were placed at the scene of the horrific accident on Saturday (February 13) in Tanjong Pagar, as people paid their respects to the five men who died when their BMW crashed into a store and exploded in calls.
When The Straits Times arrived on the scene around 7.45am, an old photo of a child had been placed on top of a set of clothing and a pair of shoes in the store’s charred entrance.
The photo, believed to be that of one of the victims, was later removed.
Flowers, lighted candles and notes of sympathy were among the items posted to the side and front of the store.
The accident on the second day of the Chinese New Year on Saturday killed all five men in the car. Police said it was the highest number of people killed in a single car accident in the past decade.
Six workers from TS Engineering Works arrived to install road safety cones at 8.28 am. They started installing a metal barricade at 8.40am.
One of them, a 38-year-old man who wanted to be known as Harun, said he had been instructed to come aboard the place.
A relative and friend of the deceased arrived to pay their respects to the scene of the accident.
The woman, who was wearing a black dress and claimed to be a member of the family, entered the store around 10:30 a.m. with a bouquet of blue flowers.
With tears in her eyes, she placed the flowers in the tent.
She declined to speak to the media.
He picked up and took the photo, and also the clothes and shoes the photo was placed in.
Another young man, who said he was a friend of the deceased, arrived around 11:55 in the morning with a bouquet of flowers.
All six victims had worked at the same time as representatives for Aviva Financial Advisers.
Of the five who died, four were financial advisers to the firm. They are: Jonathan Long and Eugene Yap, both 29, Elvin Tan Yong Hao, 28, and Teo Qi Xiang, 26.
The four of them were in a BMW M4 coupe with Gary Wong Hong Chieh, 29, a former Aviva Financial Advisers representative, when the car crashed into the front of an empty store and burst into flames around 5.40 a.m.
Mr. Long was the driver of the white BMW.
His girlfriend, Ms. Raybe Oh Siew Huey, 26, suffered severe burns after trying to save the men.
Like Sunday afternoon, Oh was still in critical condition in the intensive care unit, a spokesman for Singapore General Hospital said.
A mechanical engineering consultant who wanted to be known as Tan, 73, said he attends the church next door.
He took photos of the crash site and said speeding cars were prevalent in Tanjong Pagar and where he lives in Katong.
Several vehicles and bystanders stopped at the site to take photos and discuss the accident.
A couple, who lived in Tanjong Pagar about 10 years ago, told The Straits Times that their 29-year-old son had met Mr. Long once.
They decided to walk around the crash site after having breakfast at the market.
“We came to say a prayer for him,” said the woman.
Clarissa Tan, 23, a friend of Mr. Eugene Yap and Mr. Jonathan Long, both 29, told ST that it was unlikely that Mr. Yap’s body would be released that day as the forensic team had to identify the five bodies.
“The forensic team is identifying the body. If they can’t, they have to do DNA testing and the results will only be available after two days,” said Tan, a disc jockey.
Another friend of the victims said, declining to reveal his name: “Both Jon (Jonathan Long) and Raybe are close friends of mine.
“Young, motivated and good-hearted. Like many young people, they have their playful side, but they never (intended) to harm anyone.
“I wanted so badly for them to get married, but what’s left now is heartache.”
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