SINGAPORE: One person died following a fire that broke out in a Choa Chu Kang Housing Board flat in the wee hours of Tuesday (Sept 24).
In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said firefighters from Bukit Batok Fire Station and Woodlands Fire Station were alerted to a fire at 692A, Choa Chu Kang Crescent at about 6am.
“The fire involved the living room and a bedroom of a unit on the ninth floor. Firefighters had to conduct forcible entry to gain access into the unit.
“The fire was extinguished with a water jet and two Compressed Air Foam backpacks. As a result of the fire, the rest of the unit also sustained heat and smoke damage,” said SCDF.
One person was found inside one of the bedrooms and carried out of the unit by firefighters during the operation.
The person was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic, said SCDF, adding that there was no one else inside the affected unit.
About 150 residents were evacuated from the block by police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.
When The Straits Times arrived at about 9am, there were at least eight police cars, three fire trucks and a red rhino seen near the affected block.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Mayor of North West District, Alex Yam, made a post on Facebook shortly after the fire saying the town council would be on site soon to assist.
There were 1,954 fires in 2023, an 8.6 per cent hike from 1,799 cases in 2022. The top two causes were electrical fires and unattended cooking, with 597 and 456 cases respectively, according to SCDF’s annual statistics in 2023.
Additionally, fire injuries fell from 171 to 81, and deaths from eight to three from 2022 to 2023. Two fatal fires took place at flats, SCDF added. - The Straits Times/ANN
