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A total of 300 people were evacuated in the early hours of Saturday morning (August 29), after a fire broke out at The Peak in Toa Payoh.
The Singapore Civil Defense Force was alerted to a fire in Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh around 2.55 am on Saturday, it said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.
The fire in the Housing Board block involved the contents of a unit on the 20th floor and also affected a unit directly above it, on the 21st floor.
Three people from the 20th floor unit were taken to Singapore General Hospital with burns and smoke inhalation. Those who were evacuated have returned to their homes.
Upon reaching The Peak, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus immediately proceeded to the burning unit and extinguished the fire.
They rescued two people who were found in a bathroom. Another occupant of the unit had been evacuated prior to the arrival of the SCDF.
At the same time, firefighters forced entry to the unit on the upper deck and extinguished the fire. The occupants of this unit had been evacuated prior to the arrival of SCDF.
The Chief Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport Chee Hong Tat expressed his appreciation in a Facebook post on Saturday, thanking residents who alerted their neighbors and called the SCDF when the fire broke out.
https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/posts/10157050513630583
“Your swift response has helped save lives and allowed affected residents to evacuate safely. Glad to hear neighbors are helping each other during this emergency. Thanks also to our SCDF firefighters for putting out the fire and keeping everyone safe, “said Mr. Chee, GRC MP Bishan-Toa Payoh.
This incident is also a reminder of the importance of fire safety and evacuation procedures, and why common hallways and stairways must be kept clear to ensure everyone’s safety, Chee added.
https://www.facebook.com/hongtat.chee/posts/1962743330528745
A witness who lives in Block 139B and who only wants to be known as Ms. Tan said: “Screams of ‘fire’ woke us up and we saw a unit in the opposite block engulfed in flames. All neighboring blocks on the property intervened and they started yelling together to wake up the neighbors sleeping around the burning unit to evacuate. “
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission is required for reproduction.
