20230613 One stall closed after fire breaks out at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre
Singapore Jun 13 2023 “Building” “Stores”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
One stall closed after fire breaks out at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre
Updated: 2023-06-13
Members of the public put out the fire with a fire extinguisher before SCDF’s arrival and there were no reported injuries. PHOTO: CHRISTINE LOCK
SINGAPORE – A fire broke out at a hawker centre in Sembawang on Tuesday morning after a stall was left unmanned.
The fire at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, which opened in December 2022, involved a stove and the kitchen exhaust hood of a food stall on the first floor.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted to the incident at 9.05am and that members of the public had put out the fire with a fire extinguisher before it arrived. There were no reported injuries.
A worker at the affected stall – Long Xiang Ho Chiak Scissors Cut Curry Rice – told Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News that he was in the toilet when the fire happened.
The worker, who wanted to be known as Mr Wu, 63, said he does not know when the stall will be ready for business again.
When The Straits Times visited the stall at about 10am, it was water-logged with the lights switched off.
Madam Christine Lock, 47, who sells nasi lemak just two stalls away, said thick flames rose above the burning stall.
She added: “The smoke was everywhere, and I was anxious and afraid that an explosion might happen.”
With the only exit blocked by the smoke, she was forced to climb over the counter with a customer’s help to leave her stall.
Madam Christine Lock was forced to climb out from the counter of her stall with the help of a customer. ST PHOTO: REBEKAH CHIA
Another hawker, who wanted to be known as Madam Tan, said when she came to work at 9.30am her stall, which is just across from the affected stall, was completely drenched by sprinklers.
The 50-year-old said: “Everything in my stall got wet, including my induction stove. I even collected bowls of water from the dripping ceiling to prevent it spilling everywhere, and I had to wipe away puddles on my counter top.
“But luckily for me, my equipment can still be used,” she added.
In response to queries, Canopy Hawkers Group, the hawker centre’s management, said the fire suppression system within the affected stall was triggered, and the fire did not spread to other stalls.
The fire suppression system within the affected stall was triggered, and the fire did not spread to other stalls. ST PHOTO: CHRISTINE SIOW
It said the fire was put out within a minute.
“The stall has reported minimal damage. But we will require a few more days to assess the full extent of damages and conduct repairs. This is to ensure that it is safe for the stallholder to reopen for business,” the management added.
Web Source: The Straits Times