SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A commuter’s power bank caught fire in the cabin of an eastbound train at Raffles Place MRT station on the evening of March 7.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, train operator SMRT said that the emergency communication button was activated at 5.30pm and station staff used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.
All 650 commuters on board alighted safely and no one was injured, said Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains.
To clear the smoke, the station’s exhaust system was turned on. Mr Lam said SMRT staff provided first aid to the commuter, who declined to be taken to a hospital.
SMRT said the issue was quickly resolved and train services were not affected.
In a video posted on social media platform Xiaohongshu, white smoke can be seen coming out of the affected cabin as station staff handle the situation.
According to the poster, who wanted to be known only as Ms Chen, she had a power bank, a data cable, an access card and a pair of headphones in her handbag.
She told ST she had not been using the power bank at the time.
When the fire broke out, she immediately threw her handbag to the ground.
She and other passengers then rushed out of the cabin when the doors opened, said Ms Chen, who also posted photos of her soot-covered hand and shirt.
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident by SMRT staff at 5.45pm, and was informed that assistance was not required.
The affected train was then removed from service and moved to Changi Depot, where SCDF conducted investigations into the cause of the fire.
Preliminary findings showed that it was likely caused by an electrical origin from the power bank, said SCDF.
* Additional reporting by Lok Jian Wen. - The Straits Times/ANN
