Five people were taken to hospital following a major fire that broke out at a coffeeshop in Hougang early Tuesday morning, forcing about 40 residents and patrons to evacuate from the area.
The blaze occurred at Block 106 Hougang Avenue 1 and quickly spread through parts of the four-storey building, leaving sections of the property heavily damaged and causing widespread power disruptions in the neighbourhood.
Videos circulating on social media showed intense flames shooting out from the ground-floor coffeeshop while thick black smoke billowed into the sky. The fire appeared severe enough to affect multiple upper-floor units, with exterior walls on the floors above visibly charred after the incident.
Residents nearby described hearing loud commotion before seeing emergency responders arriving at the scene. At least one fire engine from the Singapore Civil Defence Force was spotted battling the blaze as smoke spread across the estate.
Fire Spread Through Multiple Floors Of Building
Footage shared online showed the coffeeshop interior badly blackened by soot after the fire was extinguished. Tables, chairs, and other furnishings were covered in ash and debris, while the usually busy area appeared dark and deserted hours later.
The flames were also believed to have travelled upwards through an exhaust ventilation system, judging from visible burn damage along the building’s exterior.
SCDF said it was alerted to the incident at around 4.50am on 5 May. Firefighters arrived to find several stalls within the coffeeshop engulfed in flames.
About 40 people had already evacuated before emergency crews arrived. The fire was eventually brought under control using two water jets.
Five individuals were later conveyed to Singapore General Hospital after suffering smoke inhalation.
Authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the blaze.
Power Supply Disrupted After Fire
According to Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, one of the food stalls had reportedly been preparing ingredients before the fire started. Early findings suggest the blaze may have been accidentally triggered during food preparation activities.
A resident living in the block reportedly saw a stall assistant receiving medical attention from paramedics shortly after the incident.
Beyond the physical damage, the fire also disrupted electricity supply to several homes and businesses in the block. Residents said the outage was particularly difficult due to Singapore’s recent hot weather conditions.
Several ground-floor businesses, including clinics, were forced to suspend operations temporarily due to the blackout. Patients were reportedly redirected elsewhere or had their appointments rescheduled.
ATMs located within the block were also rendered unusable during the disruption.
Sylvia Lim Says Restoration Works Underway
In a Facebook update, Sylvia Lim said the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council had been working closely with contractors and government agencies to restore essential services following the fire.
She also thanked SCDF and police officers for their emergency response efforts.
Ms Lim and Dennis Tan later visited affected residents and households, where some shared frightening accounts of escaping the blaze in the early hours of the morning.
By around 6pm, AHTC confirmed that electricity supply to affected residential units had been restored.
Town council representatives added that further inspections and rectification works would continue after assessing damage to common property areas. Assistance has also reportedly been extended to affected residents and commercial tenants impacted by the incident.