Dozens evacuated after PMD sparks fire in Ang Mo Kio flat

SINGAPORE: A fire broke out in an Ang Mo Kio flat on Monday afternoon (Jul 22), causing about 60 people to be evacuated, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). 

SCDF said it was alerted to the incident at Block 224 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 at about 3.05pm. The fire, which had erupted from a flat on the fourth floor of the Housing Board block, was raging when firefighters arrived. 

“Upon SCDF’s arrival, the fire was raging and involved the contents of the entire unit. The fire was extinguished with one water jet,” SCDF said in a Facebook post. 

Ms Nuraidah Mustafa, a resident of the area, told CNA she could smell the scent of burning plastic from her flat despite living a few blocks away. 

Two SCDF fire engines were at the scene to tackle the blaze, which was emitting plumes of black smoke, she added.

SCDF said it rescued four people, including three children, from the neighbouring unit while police and SCDF personnel evacuated about 60 people from the affected blocks.

According to preliminary investigations, the cause of the fire was a personal mobility device (PMD) that was placed in the kitchen, SCDF said.

On Saturday, a man died in hospital two days after being rescued from a fire in Bukit Batok that started from PMDs.

Earlier this month a fire broke out in the living room in a Tampines flat after a PMD that was being charged caught fire.

Last month, two separate fires on the the same day were found to be have been caused by PMDs.

READ: Fires involving e-scooters, e-bikes spike by 50% in 2018

SCDF in its Facebook post reminded members of the public to use and purchase UL2272 certified PMDs.

More information can be found on Land Transport Authority’s website.