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SINGAPORE – On Friday night (September 18) a fire broke out at the Temple of the God of Wealth in Sembawang.
The fire occurred at 28 Admiralty Street after 9 p.m. Friday night, and the blaze appeared to engulf a large portion of the four-story temple.
The Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) said it received an alert of the fire around 9.15pm, after which it dispatched a fire truck and other firefighting items to the scene.
Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing out of the temple as red flames burned in the compound behind the temple’s main signage in a Facebook live feed posted by the Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao at 10:56 p.m.
The fire drew about 40 spectators across the canal from the temple’s main entrance.
VIDEO: LIANHE ZAOBAO / FACEBOOK
At approximately 11:28 p.m., the flames appeared to be extinguished after having lasted almost two hours. Later, at least one member of the SCDF was seen on the upper floors of the temple, with a torch in hand.
Spectators cheered as the fire seemed to be extinguished with some applause and shouts. A blanket of grayish-white smoke continued to billow around the great statue of the God of Wealth.
The SCDF said it used five jets of water to penetrate and contain the fire. As a security measure, the police evacuated residents of a nearby nursing home. During the evacuation, an elderly man from the house experienced shortness of breath and was evaluated by an SCDF paramedic.
Later, an SCDF ambulance took him to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
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