E-scooters left on charge mode causes fire in Bukit Batok flat

Singapore — Three people were injured and more than 70 residents were evacuated following the HDB fire that broke out during the early hours of Thursday morning.

Singapore Civil Defence Forces (SCDF) rescued a man and a woman from their burning flat on the 26th floor of Block 293D Bukit Batok Street 21.

According to Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai, the fire which started in the living room of the unit was caused by two e-scooters that had been left charging and unattended.

The fire broke out at around 12:40 AM.

Read: Fire at Boon Lay HDB injures 6, 100 residents evacuated

A resident living on the 25th floor said he wondered why his ceiling was “trembling” and then he heard screaming. He discovered the unit above was already burning, and the couple was stuck standing on the ledge outside the flat.

Firefighters donning breathing devices cut through the iron gate and forced their way into the burning living room. They found a man passed out in the bathroom. He had suffered from third degree burns after attempting to rescue his pet dog.

The man was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for emergency treatment, while the woman was taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation.

The couple were identified as Sam and Hui Xin who lived with their pet dog and parrot.

Another elderly man suffered injuries during the evacuation. He was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for treatment.

Neighbours helped put out the fire before the SCDF arrived, and they also tried to calm the couple down. SCDF firefighters put out the fire with two water jets, and the residents returned to their units at around 3am.

According to the SCDF, fires involving mobility devices (PMDs) or power-assisted bikes have been on the rise. In 2018, there were 74 fires stemming from such. They added that these figures were at a 51 percent increase since 2017. Such fires broke out while the device batteries were left charging or immediately after. -/TISG

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