Singapore – A fire in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Choa Chu Kang was accidentally started by a child, resulting in over 60 residents being evacuated.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to a fire at Block 470 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3 on Wednesday afternoon (Oct 20) at about 2:45 pm.
It was reported that the fire started in the seventh-floor unit’s storeroom.
“I immediately came home,” said 51-year-old electrical engineer Aung Myo Thant who got a call from his wife regarding the incident at their rental flat.
Mr Aung Myo Thant’s wife, Khin Myo Thant, was in the unit with their three children when the fire occurred, reported Straits Times.
Mdm Khin Myo Thant spotted the flames in their storeroom, which contained items like textbooks and clothing.
She also spotted her five-year-old son holding a gas lighter.
After a failed attempt to put out the fire with cold water, Mdm Khin Myo Thant requested assistance from her neighbours.
The authorities were soon alerted to the incident. “Suddenly, I heard an explosion,” shared a neighbour who helped the family evacuate.
SCDF used a water jet to extinguish the blaze.
The family had left the flat before SCDF officers arrived, while residents on the fifth to ninth floors were evacuated.
In an update on Friday (Oct 22), SCDF said that preliminary investigations revealed the fire was caused by a dropped light.
“If you have children at home, here are some fire safety tips to prevent such an occurrence: keep lighters, matches and candles away from children,” said SCDF.
It added that children playing with sprinklers must be closely supervised by adults.
“Sparklers should be lit at arm’s length, and unused ones are to be sealed in boxes and kept away from heat sources,” said SCDF./TISG
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