Singapore — A personal mobility device (PMD) caught fire inside a Sembawang flat in the early morning of Monday (Aug 26).
According to a Facebook post by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the fire broke out in a flat on the 12th floor of Block 364B Sembawang Crescent.
Read: Four people taken to hospital after alleged PMD fire in Jurong West
A family of four resided in the flat and were present when the fire started, according to a report by Today.
The father immediately ran out with his wife and two young children when the fire broke out.
The fire started in the living room, and initial investigations by SCDF point the cause to a PMD left on charge mode.
Read: PMD-related fire in Choa Chu Kang sends 3 people to hospital
The owner said they borrowed the PMD from a family friend so they could try riding it.
One of their neighbors was worried when he first saw the e-scooter outside the flat a few months ago, saying that there were already several cases of fires caused by such devices.
Fortunately, no one was injured because of the incident as SCDF promptly put out the fire with a hose reel and two compressed air backpacks.
Read: Not just in Singapore: Electric scooter catches fire at Dropbox headquarters, San Francisco
There has been an alarming rise in PMD-related fires in several HDB flats over the past year.
In the first half of 2019 alone, there were already 49 cases of PMD fires reported.
One man died when a fire broke out in his Bukit Batok Flat, an incident where e-scooters were left on charge mode as well.
PMDs can catch fire due to poor quality or faulty batteries. SCDF reminded everyone to check whether their PMDs are certified and to always follow safety measures when charging the devices. -/TISG
“Very very alarmed” Lee Bee Wah thinks the Govt should be stricter with PMD riders