Car fire brings traffic to a standstill in MCE tunnel

SINGAPORE: Traffic came to a standstill on the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) in the direction of the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Thursday (Sep 18) after a car caught fire in the MCE tunnel.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at around 6.40pm. The fire involved a non-electric vehicle and was extinguished by the activation of the MCE's deluge system, as well as firefighters using a compressed air foam jet.

SCDF said that there were no reported injuries and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Traffic came to a "complete stop" at about 6.55pm, Mr Isaiah Tay, a passenger in a car in the tunnel, told CNA. He said that at least six fire engines and three police cars were at the scene.

Mr Tay added that his Grab driver received information from Grab that a car had caught fire in the tunnel.

Footage sent to CNA by Mr Tay after traffic had begun moving again showed a fire-damaged car on the side of the expressway, with the fire having been extinguished.

While the incident was ongoing, the Land Transport Authority made an announcement on the radio advising motorists in the tunnel to get out of their vehicles and leave the tunnel via their nearest emergency exits, added Mr Tay.

He said that he was stuck in traffic in the tunnel for about 35 minutes.

Another passenger in a vehicle at the scene told CNA that when she got on the MCE at about 6.45pm, traffic was stopped and she was similarly stuck for about 35 minutes.

Additional reporting by Johannes Tjendro.