Serangoon Central fire aftermath: nearby HDB residents suffering from noise and air pollution, repair works stopped halfway

One person was taken to the hospital following a fire at a coffee shop at 261 Serangoon Central Drive on May 14. The fire involved the coffeeshop’s kitchen exhaust ducting on the first floor of the building. “It’s been two to three weeks (since the incident),” wrote Facebook page Complaint Singapore member on Monday (May 30).

“The repair materials for the vents are already here, but repair works were paused hallway. Even the machine is here. They built up the vent pipe halfway on May 17, and they completely just stopped doing so,” said Ms Zhining. “Why are the residents staying here suffering due to the aftermath of the fire?” asked the concerned individual, noting they had to endure unfinished repair works from the Serangoon Central Block fire.

She attached a photo of the exhaust ducting situation.

Ms Zhining explained that residents within the vicinity “face extreme difficulty sleeping” as the Mala store operates until near 5 am.

On top of the noise pollution, the concerned individual said gas and smoke also travel upwards into the nearby residents’ units and on their hanging laundry.

“Even when we close our windows, the smell also travels into the units because there are no vent pipes sucking it in.”

Prior to the fire, Ms Zhining noted they never complained as the exhaust pipes were enough to redirect the smoke and smell. “But now it’s just so unbearable.”

She asked why the vent pipes were not fully installed.

“They did not give any reasons why the materials are all here, building machine also here but no reasons given to us why they stopped halfway but yet the stalls are all operating!”

“The fire incident is on May 14; it’s already the end of May now,” she added.

Ms Zhining noted in several comments that she has written to the Housing Development Board and their town council regarding the matter, while others advised also contacting their Member of Parliament, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The Independent Singapore has reached out to the Marine Parade Town Council for a statement and will update the article accordingly. /TISG

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