Gas leak blasts hole in kitchen of Monk’s Hill flat, elderly man narrowly escapes injury

Gas leak blasts hole in Monk’s Hill flat, 50 residents evacuated

An elderly resident had just returned to his flat in Monk’s Hill when he was surprised by an explosion that tore through his kitchen wall.

It was later established that the blast was caused by a gas leak.

The man said he was “lucky to be alive”, having escaped injury by not being in the kitchen at that time.

Incident on 20 March took place after resident returned home

The incident took place on Wednesday (20 March) night, reported Shin Min Daily News.

75-year-old retiree Li Shenghe (transliterated from Mandarin) returned to his flat in 426 Clemenceau Avenue North at 10pm, he told the paper.

Instead of making coffee in the kitchen, as he usually does in the evening, he rested in the living room instead.

Loud explosion rips through Monk’s Hill flat

That was a decision that would save his life, he said, as he heard a loud explosion soon after he got back.

Mr Li went to the kitchen and found that a gaping hole had been blown out on his kitchen wall.

The violent blast spewed debris across the room, causing the cabinets on the opposite wall to be damaged.

Concrete chunks and debris were also scattered on the floor, with large pieces covering the corridor leading to the living room.

He noticed a dark brown mark on the previously white wall opposite the hole, and also that the temperature in the room had increased.

Resident lucky to escape injury

Mr Li, who has lived alone in the unit for four years, told Shin Min if he hadn’t decided to take a rest in the next room, the consequences would’ve been disastrous.

He’s “lucky to be alive”, he later told The Straits Times (ST).

Mr Li informed the building manager about the blast but didn’t alert anybody else as he didn’t smell any gas leak nor detect any fire or smoke.

Blast in Monk’s Hill flat caused by gas leak

However, the next day, the building manager came to inspect the hole and called in the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

SCDF told ST it was alerted at about 10.30am on Thursday (21 March).

Multiple fire engines and police vehicles arrived on the scene at about 11am.

The SCDF put out a fire caused by a leaked gas pipe within a wall in the kitchen of a ground-floor unit, it said.

The gas pipe is understood to have been leaking for a while, causing gas to accumulate in the wall and an explosion to occur.

Even after the blast, gas continued to seep out, causing the wall opposite to be discoloured.

Mr Li told Shin Min that the SCDF cut off the gas supply, dug two holes around the brown marks and added water.

50 Monk’s Hill residents evacuated due to gas leak

The blast didn’t just affect Mr Li, but residents of his block too.

About 50 residents were evacuated on Thursday morning and were temporarily put up at a community club.

They started returning home from 2pm.

No one was injured and the cause of the blast is under investigation, the SCDF said.

Building is structurally safe: BCA

Despite the leak and the blast, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has said that the building is structurally safe.

That’s because the damage is localised and does not affect the structural integrity of the building, it added.

However, it advised the building owner to appoint a qualified person to further assess the damage and recommend repairs as a precaution.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said Knight Frank Property & Facilities Management manages the property and will provide assistance to affected residents.

According to the SLA website, 426 Clemenceau Avenue North is a state property.

The eight-storey block with 64 flats was built by the colonial British government before the war.

Also read: Gas Leak Detected At Tiong Bahru Shophouse After Tree Falls Onto It, No Injuries Reported

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News.