A WEEK-LONG wait for one family has ended with the confirmation of the worst.

A driver who was killed in a fiery wreck last Tuesday in Jurong has been identified as Mr Chan Jiun Ming, 32.

On Tuesday, his family members sent his remains to Malaysia. It is understood they had suspected for some days that Mr. Chan had perished in the early morning accident. But his body was so badly burnt, police had to confirm his identity with a DNA test.

No one was home when The Straits Times visited Mr Chan's three-room flat in Teck Whye on Tuesday.

But his neighbour, Mr Chua, said he lived with his wife and their two-year-old girl.

Mr Chua, a retiree in his 70s, said he heard news of the death from the child's grandfather, who arrived from Malaysia a few days ago.

He described Mr Chan as a friendly man he often exchanged greetings with.

'This is so sad,' Mr Chua said in Hokkien.

Mr Chan was driving his Mazda 2 along Jurong Town Hall Road towards Bukit Batok Road, when he apparently lost control of the hatchback.

The car skidded off the road, rammed into a tree and burst into flames.

Fire engulfed the front of the car, as well as the engine and the cabin.

Firefighters arrived to put out the blaze, only to find the driver trapped inside the wreckage. Mr Chan's body was so charred, neither gender nor identity could be established.

According to mechanics, it's uncommon for cars to burst into flames after a crash. Another exception took place in August, when two 19-year-old men perished after their Mazda MX-5 convertible smashed into a wall and caught on fire.