3 people self-evacuate as fire engulfs entire 18th-floor unit in MacPherson
A fire broke out in an HDB flat in the MacPherson area on Monday (4 May) night, causing nine people to be sent to the hospital, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a Facebook post on Tuesday (5 May) morning.
A man was subsequently arrested for arson, the police told Lianhe Zaobao.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
Large flames leap out from burning flat in Joo Seng Road
According to SCDF, it was alerted at about 9.40pm to a fire at Block 14 Joo Seng Road.
Firefighters found an entire unit on the 18th floor engulfed in the blaze.
This was the second-highest floor of the 19-storey block, according to a photo taken by a nearby resident.
Source: WD on XiaoHongShu
Footage taken by another witness showed large flames leaping out from the window.
Source: Dave Cuyler Cruz on Facebook
Three people self-evacuated from the unit before SCDF arrived.
Firefighter & 8 others sent to SGH
The fire was eventually extinguished using two water jets, SCDF said.
Source: Dave Cuyler Cruz on Facebook
A total of eight people were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) after being assessed for smoke inhalation.
A firefighter, who felt unwell during the operation, was also conveyed to SGHÂ as a precaution.
SCDF was conducting damping-down operations, it added, noting:
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire could have been intentionally started.
Man at scene suspected to be involved in MacPherson fire
Zaobao reported that onlookers who had gathered outside the block had raised suspicions over the cause of the fire.
A man in his 40s was observed to be sitting alone at the scene, under the watch of police officers.
The man, who was expressionless and silent, wore disposable paper shoes, which suggested that he may have been involved in the incident.
When reporters took photos, the police took him away in a police car.
Source: Dave Cuyler Cruz on Facebook
44-year-old man arrested for arson
In response to Zaobao’s queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said a 44-year-old man had been arrested for arson.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Also read: Punggol HDB block hit by 4 fires in 3 days, suspect arrested for arson
Punggol HDB block hit by 4 fires in 3 days, suspect arrested for arson
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Featured image adapted from Dave Cuyler Cruz on Facebook and Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook.
