The Singapore Civil Defence Force rescued two people from a fifth-floor window ledge of a HDB unit in Tampines during a fire that was believed to have been caused by the charging of 2 PMDs in the living room, according to The Straits Times.
The Scene Unfolds
The incident happened on Sunday at Block 872A Tampines Street 86. At about 9:10 PM, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received an alert about a fire that had ignited in this HDB unit. The source of the blaze? The batteries of personal mobility devices (PMDs) that were being charged in the living room.
A Desperate Bid for Survival
As the fire began to engulf their living space, panic set in for the occupants of the unit. In their desperate bid to escape the rapidly spreading inferno, one of them climbed out of the kitchen window and ended up standing on the window ledge.
Simultaneously, another occupant, trapped in the bedroom, resorted to climbing out onto the bedroom window ledge.
There was also a third person who was standing on the bedroom window ledge, but he made the bold decision to re-enter the burning unit and was eventually rescued by the SCDF, who had by then arrived at the scene and broke in through the front door.
As the SCDF battled the fierce flames, they managed to extinguish the fire using a water jet. The fire primarily involved the contents of the flat’s living room.
In the midst of the chaos, about 15 people from the neighboring units were promptly evacuated to safety. The three individuals who were rescued, received immediate medical attention and were transported to the Singapore General Hospital.
SCDF’s statement on Facebook
On Sunday (15 Oct), SCDF responded to a residential unit fire in Tampines, involving three persons stranded on the window ledge in a bid to escape the fire.
Two persons were safely rescued by the SCDF using an aerial rescue platform, while the third person was rescued by SCDF firefighters who broke in through the unit’s front door.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire had likely originated from the batteries of two Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) that were charging in the living room.
SCDF would like to remind the public on the prevention of PMD/PAB fires, including not to charge batteries for an extended period of time or left charging overnight. Do not purchase or use non-original batteries.