Two children were rushed to hospital after a fire broke out at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Yishun on Friday, November 7, afternoon.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was informed about the fire at Block 128 Yishun Street 11, at about 1.20 pm.
When first responders arrived, the bedroom of a second-floor apartment was on fire.
SCDF said in a Facebook post, “Firefighters entered the smoke-filled unit and extinguished the fire with a water jet”.
Before SCDF arrived, three members of the unit had already left.
According to the report, two residents of the apartment were evaluated for smoke inhalation and transported to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
CNA reported that Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who is also an MP for Nee Soon GRC, said that two children have been taken to the hospital for observation.
The minister stated that the apartment was occupied by five children and their parents.
Shanmugam told reporters that the fire was put out in ten minutes and that the nearby apartments were unaffected.
Shanmugam, who arrived at the scene at approximately 4.30 pm and went straight to the affected family, stated that even though the fire damage within the affected unit was “somewhat extensive,” SCDF officers arrived and “put out the fire very fast.”
He added, as quoted by CNA, “The room where the fire probably started is very badly damaged. The other rooms are not so badly damaged.”
The family has found temporary housing in a different block, and issues regarding the cost of repairs will be discussed.
Additionally, Shanmugam stated that “a lot more” public education regarding fire safety is required.
“There are about a million HDB units. So it’s a huge number. With that, you can expect that there will be incidents, some accidents,” he said.
Before going up to the affected unit, Shanmugam spoke with firefighters after addressing the impacted family.
According to SCDF, about 50 residents of the impacted block were evacuated as a precaution.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the fire had likely originated from a lighted material in the affected bedroom,” it added.
