2 suffer smoke inhalation after fire breaks out in Punggol flat, 70 evacuated

Fire involved contents of kitchen in 15th-floor Punggol flat

Two people suffered from smoke inhalation and about 70 were evacuated after a fire broke out in an HDB flat in Punggol on Tuesday (10 Nov) night.

Footage posted on Facebook showed flames leaping out of the 15th-floor unit’s window.

Explosion & debris from Punggol flat

In a TikTok video, a piece of debris is seen falling from the burning flat to the ground.

Another TikTok video depicted a small explosion from the flat.

At this point, flames were coming out from two windows.

SCDF arrives to put out fire

At least two Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire engines soon arrived at the scene.

Firefighters quickly set up hoses and connected them to a fire hydrant.

A number of people waited on the ground outside the block after possibly having been evacuated.

Much of the flames later died down, leaving trails of smoke.

3 self-evacuate from Punggol flat before SCDF arrive

In response to queries from MS News, SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at about 10.10pm on 10 Nov.

It involved the contents of a kitchen in a 15th-floor unit in Block 105A Edgefield Plains.

Three people had self-evacuated from the affected unit before the arrival of SCDF, which extinguished the blaze using a water jet.

Two persons were assessed for smoke inhalation, but both of them declined to be sent to the hospital.

As a precautionary measure, about 70 people were evacuated from the affected block by the police and SCDF.

Fire likely of electrical origin

SCDF said the fire is likely of electrical origin and started in the affected kitchen, according to preliminary findings.

It thus reminded the public not to overload electrical outlets and to always switch off appliances when not in use, with only appliances and plugs bearing the Safety Mark to be used.

Residents should also check their wires regularly and replace or repair frayed wires or cracked cords.

Wires must not run under carpets and must be kept away from hot surfaces.

Lastly, batteries or devices should not be left charging unattended for an extended period of time or overnight, SCDF added.

Also read: 3 sent to hospital after fire in Bukit Panjang flat that was likely of electrical origin

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Featured image adapted from @pee1028 on TikTok.