20200829 300 evacuated as fire breaks out at Toa Payoh block
Singapore Aug 29 2020 “Apartment houses” “Building”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 1 to 9
300 evacuated as fire breaks out at Toa Payoh block
Updated: 2020–08–30
The fire broke out at Block 138C Lorong 1A (above) early yesterday morning. Nearby residents who saw the fire shouted to wake people up. Altogether, 300 people were evacuated, but they later returned home.PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, SCDF
A total of 300 people were evacuated in the wee hours of yesterday morning, after a fire broke out at The Peak in Toa Payoh.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to a fire at Block 138C, Lorong 1A Toa Payoh, at about 2.55am yesterday, it said in a Facebook post yesterday afternoon.
The fire at the Housing Board block involved the contents of a unit on the 20th floor and also affected a unit directly above on the 21st floor.
Three people from the unit on the 20th floor were taken to Singapore General Hospital with burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Those who were evacuated have since returned to their homes.
Upon arrival at The Peak, firefighters with breathing apparatus immediately proceeded to the burning unit, where they managed to extinguish the fire.
They rescued two people who were found in a bathroom. Another occupant had evacuated before the SCDF’s arrival.
At the same time, firefighters forced their way into the unit on the floor above and extinguished the fire there as well. Occupants of this unit had also evacuated before the SCDF arrived.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport Chee Hong Tat thanked residents who alerted their neighbours and called the SCDF. “Your quick response has helped to save lives and enabled affected residents to evacuate safely. I am heartened to learn about neighbours helping one another during this emergency. Thanks also to our SCDF firefighters for putting out the fire and keeping everyone safe,” he said.
The Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP added that the incident is also a reminder of the importance of fire safety and evacuation procedures, and why common corridors and stair wells must be kept unblocked to ensure everyone’s safety.
An eyewitness who lives at Block 139B and wants to be known only as Mrs Tan said: “Screams of ‘fire’ woke us up and we saw a unit in the opposite block engulfed in flames. All the neighbouring blocks in the estate chimed in and started yelling together to arouse the sleeping neighbours around the burning unit to evacuate.”
Web Source: The Straits Times
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/300-evacuated-as-fire-breaks-out-at-toa-payoh-block