SINGAPORE: Two people were taken to hospital on Wednesday (May 14) after a Toa Payoh flat caught fire, likely sparked by a personal mobility device (PMD) battery.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at Block 226 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh at about 10.50pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on May 15.
When the firefighters arrived, the living room of the 10th-floor unit was on fire, and they had to force their way into the smoke-filled unit to put out the fire with a water jet.
One person was found inside a bedroom and taken to the Singapore General Hospital after being assessed by a paramedic for smoke inhalation and burn injuries.
The police and SCDF also evacuated about 30 people from neighbouring units, among them a person from a unit on the 14th floor who had to be taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital due to breathlessness.
Early investigations indicated that the fire likely originated from a PMD battery in the charred living room, the SCDF said.
It added: “To prevent such fires, SCDF would like to remind the public not to purchase or use non-original batteries for their active mobility devices, including PMDs and powered-assisted bicycles or PABs.
“Also, do not charge PMD/PAB batteries for an extended period of time or overnight.”
Fires involving active mobility devices remain a growing concern, and have been on the rise for two years in a row, in 2023 and 2024.
An SCDF annual report published in February said there were 67 fires involving active mobility devices in 2024, up 21.8 per cent from 55 fires in 2023.
The bulk of these incidents occurred in homes, with 44 blazes in 2024.
One key reason for the continued rise of fires linked to active mobility device is that many of these machines were modified, including the use of additional batteries not originally part of the device’s original design, SCDF has said.
In its May 15 Facebook post, SCDF also advised users to refrain from charging their active mobility devices near materials that burn easily or along an escape path. - The Straits Times/ANN
