Punters strike 4D after betting unit number of stall that caught fire at Marsiling Lane Food Centre

The New Paper
May 18, 2023

If you’re not a superstitious person, it may annoy you whenever there’s a traffic accident and someone asks what the licence plate numbers involved are – you know, for 4D-buying purposes.

After all, it insensitively implies that one person’s misfortune is someone else’s good luck.

Well, forget all that – because when a fire all but destroyed a hawker stall at Marsiling Lane Food Centre on May 11, some good fortune did indeed arise from the mishap.

According to Shin Min Daily News, several punters who placed their bets on the stall's unit number (01-41) during Sunday's 4D draw actually earned some returns.

The number 0141 was among the Consolation Prize numbers, and its permutation, 1401, opened at First Prize. 

If that wasn’t enough, the number 1441 was also among the Starter Prize numbers.

Jeez.

Two residents in the area told Shin Min that a few people they knew placed bets on the number 0141 and won.

One 57-year-old, who gave her name as Xiaohui, said she won $60 from a $1 bet.

"Many people thought the number would be lucky and went to buy (4D), but who knew it would actually 'open'," she said, adding that her aunt had also won about $3,000 with the same numbers.

A stall owner in the area told Shin Min: "I believe at least 50 people placed their bets using the stall's unit number… The total amount won should be at least tens of thousands."

And the 'victim' of the fire? Yup, she claims to be a winner too, having placed a bet and won $600.

The 50-year-old stallholder, surnamed Zheng, was magnanimous when asked how she felt about others “benefiting” from her misfortune with the fire.

Zheng, the owner of the Teochew fish soup stall which caught fire on May 11.

"To be able to bring some blessings to others, I guess it's some luck amid the misfortune," said Zheng.

One person was taken to hospital with burn injuries after the stall caught fire on May 11.

At the time, Zheng told Shin Min that the fire broke out when two of her employees were preparing ingredients, with one of them frying eggs.