Man and infant sent to hospital after PMD-linked fire in Bukit Batok flat
A fire broke out in a flat at Block 416, Bukit Batok West Ave 4, at about 10.40am on Oct 8, 2019.
SINGAPORE — A man and a baby were taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a Bukit Batok flat on Tuesday morning (Oct 8), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said.
Preliminary investigations showed that the fire may have originated from a personal mobility device (PMD) that was charging.
SCDF said in a Facebook post that it responded to the fire at about 10.40am. It was in a flat on the fifth floor of Block 416, Bukit Batok West Ave 4.
A water jet was used to extinguish the fire which had spread to a bedroom.
The man, who was taken to the hospital, lived in the flat, while the infant was from a unit on the six floor. Both were treated for smoke inhalation.
Close to 30 other residents were also evacuated as a precautionary measure.
In the first half of this year, there were 54 reported fires involving PMDs, more than double the 24 reported in the same period last year.
On July 18, a fire in a Bukit Batok flat linked to e-scooters claimed the life of a 40-year-old man.
On Monday, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said that the Government may have "no choice but to ban the use of PMDs if the behaviour of users does not improve.
He said that the Ministry of Transport will be undertaking a comprehensive review to consider whether the Government needs to rethink its approach and introduce more measures to improve public path safety and reduce PMD-related fire risks.
By July next year, all PMD users in Singapore will have to comply with UL2272, a safety standard that will reduce the risk of fires
Owners with non-compliant PMDs have until March 31 to drop off their devices at designated disposal points across HDB estates islandwide or at the Land Transport Authority office in Sin Ming — at no cost.
