An electric scooter reportedly left to charge overnight in a Housing Board flat in Chua Chu Kang sparked a fire, with three people fleeing the unit.
The fire broke out at 3.50am on Friday (July 28) at a 10th-floor unit in Block 230, Choa Chu Kang Central 1, the Singapore Civil Defence Force told The Straits Times.
A woman who lives in the flat, who declined to be named, told Shin Min Daily News in a report on Friday that she was sleeping when she heard a loud explosion.
It was followed by a burnt smell, coming from a room. She went to check and saw that the battery charger of the e-scooter inside was on fire.
ST understands that SCDF officers had to conduct forcible entry into the unit, and that the fire was started by a portable battery charger attached to the e-scooter.
Jurong Fire Station, which is due to be demolished later this year and relocated to 22 Jurong West Street 26, holds many memories for the many firefighters and paramedics that have been based there.
When Jurong Fire Station leaves its current site at 25 Boon Lay Drive later this year to move to a new location, it will close its doors on the sweet memories of two people who fell in love there.
One morning in April 2001, Senior Warrant Officer 2 Mohamed Nur Azli was about to head home after ending his night duty when he heard Sergeant Maisya’s lively chatter fill the station.
Maisya had joined the station that morning as a trainee paramedic while Azli was on his second day of duty as a full paramedic after completing his training.
“She came to the station all chirpy and very noisy, I recall asking my colleague who the new girl was,” said Azli.
At the end of 2001, the pair had the chance to get to know each other better when they participated in the Civil Defence Skills Challenge (CDSC), which is now known as the Singapore-Global Firefighters and Paramedics Challenge (SGFPC), and which was a race to test the participants’ life-saving skills. The couple was paired together and they started to bond.
While participating in the challenge, the pair realised that they worked well together and were subsequently chosen to represent the 4th Civil Defence division in the inter-divisions competition.
And that was when the seeds of love started to bloom.
A few weeks after the challenge, they walked out of the gates of Jurong Fire Station and headed for their first date. That first date eventually led to them getting married in August 2002.
“We had different off days, but I would come back to the station on my off days specially to leave chocolates and a note on his table in the paramedics’ office,” Maisya said.
Changi Airport resumed normal operations at 3am on Wednesday (May 17) after a fire at Terminal 2 disrupted flights and operations.
Indigo Air flight 6E54 to Chennai left from T2 at 5.40am, the airport said in an update on Facebook.
It apologised for the inconvenience caused and thanked its passengers for their patience.
Mr Avneesh Mehta, 21, was among passengers who checked in for IndiGo flight 6E54 at about 4am. The flight, which departed Singapore for Chennai at 5.40am, was the first flight departing from T2 since operations resumed.
The Indian national, who had been in Singapore for a five-day holiday, said: “I’m glad that everything is now in order. I didn’t even know there was a fire that caused such a huge impact.”
Some shops in T2 were affected by the fire. Indian fast food restaurant Chutney Mary and restaurant Nando’s on level 3 appeared to have been hit by a blackout caused by the fire.
Chutney Mary’s manager Mohan Hase, 33, said the sprinklers on the fifth floor were activated and water leaked through the false ceiling into the 24-hour restaurant.
There was also a power outage. So even though staff were allowed back into the restaurant at 10.30pm last night, the restaurant has not re-opened.
The 24-hour Starbucks cafe at T2, which closed at 4pm on Tuesday, re-opened at 3am.
The cafe staff were back into the shop around midnight.
Starbucks barista Siti Umairah, 21, said her colleagues were unable to complete their duties due to the sudden closure, so their team cleaned the equipment and completed the sales report before re-opening the outlet.
“It smelled quite smoky when I entered the shop around midnight, but it’s okay now” she said.
Mr Wilfred Tan, 30, who works at the Times bookstore said nothing was amiss at the store, which closed early on Tuesday. The store opened at 6am, its usual opening time.
“The airport conducts fire drills quite often so we know what to do in the event of an emergency,” said Mr Tan, who has worked for Times for four years.
Passenger Carol Pantoja, 41, a sales manager at a pharmaceutical firm, could not even tell there had been a fire when she landed in the wee hours of the morning at about 5.40am.
“When I arrived here I couldn’t tell that there was a fire. I walked around for 20 minutes and didn’t smell anything,” she said.
The fire on Tuesday broke out in a room holding air-conditioning equipment at the terminal, which triggered a fire alarm at 5.40pm.
Terminal 2 was evacuated and closed, while all flights were moved to Terminal 3.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force gave the all-clear for T2 at 10pm on Tuesday. Flight operations then progressively resumed.
A total of about 40 flights were affected, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said. Six people required medical assistance.
Two people in the terminal were sent to hospital for observation after approaching Changi staff for medical assistance, and another four were brought to the Terminal 3 clinic, CAG said.
Changi Airport said it will work with authorities to investigate the incident.
Passengers departing or arriving on Wednesday are advised to check the Changi Airport website, app or social media channels for the latest information, it added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighter who was injured while helping to put out a taxi on fire in Buona Vista is recovering well, according to Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 7).
“CPL Eka was injured, while putting out the fire of a burning taxi which exploded at Buona Vista,” wrote Mr Shanmugam after a visit to the full-time National Serviceman’s house. “I went to his house and met him and his mother.
“The boy is recovering well. They are the only persons in the household. The father has passed away, and the other children are all overseas.”
Mr Shanmugam added that CPL Eka plans to study mechanical engineering after completing his National Service.
The firefighter sustained first-degree burns to his face and neck while putting out a fire caused by a taxi explosion on Commonwealth Avenue last week.
“I have also alerted his MP, Ms Tin Pei Ling. She will drop in on the family to check, offer assistance that local grassroots can give,” he said. “The men and women of the Home Team put their lives at risk every day to protect Singapore.”
Four men, including the SCDF firefighter, sustained minor injuries and were taken to National University Hospital, SCDF said.
“SELFLESS” MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC RECOVERING
Among them was ITE student Yazid. On Thursday, Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher De Souza visited him at his house.
Mr Yazid was burnt by flying debris from the blast while dismounting from his motorbike at the scene to try and help the taxi’s passengers, according to Mr De Souza in a Facebook post.
Yazid burnt his thighs, hands and shoulder when the burning taxi exploded.
“Thank you, Yazid, for your selflessness in the face of such odds,” Mr De Souza wrote. “Instead of being deterred by the thick black smoke from the taxi, Yazid rode his motorbike toward the smoke at Commonwealth Avenue as he instinctively felt he needed to render assistance to passengers.”
Thankfully, Mr Yazid has “healed well” and is recovering at home, he added.
