Fire at 80-year-old Chinatown TCM and liquor shop sends 2 to hospital, forces 40 to evacuate
Thick smoke fills the premises of an 80-year-old traditional Chinese medicine and liquor shop in Chinatown after a fire broke out on Nov 11.
SINGAPORE: A fire broke out at an 80-year-old traditional Chinese medicine and liquor shop in Chinatown on November 11, sending two people to hospital and forcing about 40 people to evacuate.
As reported by Shin Min Daily News, the shop sells seafood, herbal medicines and alcoholic beverages.
Following the fire, thick smoke filled the corridors and passageways around the shop, while the rear section of the premises was left blackened.
When reporters arrived, at least four police cars and two fire engines were at the scene.
A female employee from a nearby hardware store said she and her colleagues were alarmed when they suddenly saw thick smoke coming from the shop. They immediately left the area.
She also saw the shop owner leaving with the help of his family members. His face was covered in ash.
Another employee from a nearby hair salon said the female shop owner had borrowed a fire extinguisher from them. Some of the salon's staff also tried to put out the fire, but they were unsuccessful.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the fire involved items in a storage room at a ground-floor unit. Firefighters forced their way into the shop and put out the blaze using a water hose.
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Police evacuated about 40 people from the area. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
In a separate incident, another fire broke out at a tutoring centre in Aljunied.
A concerned reader reported seeing thick smoke coming from the unit, and at least three fire engines were sent to the scene.
Read: Fire breaks out at Aljunied tutoring centre; locked door delays access to unit