3 people taken to hospital, 50 evacuated after Toa Payoh flat fire

SINGAPORE: Three people were taken to hospital and 50 others were evacuated from their homes after a fire broke out in a flat in Toa Payoh early on Friday (Aug 22) morning.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire involved a personal mobility aid.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the fire at Block 63 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh at about 2.30am.

When SCDF firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the living room of the 12th-floor unit on fire.

They conducted forcible entry into the flat and extinguished the fire, which was confined to the unit’s living room, with a water jet.

"During the firefighting operation, firefighters rescued a person from the kitchen. The person was assessed for smoke inhalation and minor burn injuries, and conveyed conscious to Singapore General Hospital (SGH)," SCDF said in a Facebook post.

"Another two persons from the neighbouring units were also conveyed to the hospitals, one to SGH for breathlessness and the other to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for an injured ankle."

As a result of the blaze, about 50 residents of the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.

SCDF said that preliminary findings indicated that the fire had involved a personal mobility aid that was in the flat's living room.

SCDF advised members of the public not to leave batteries or devices charging for prolonged periods and not to leave batteries to charge unattended overnight.

"The public is also advised not to purchase or use non-original batteries," it added.