3 hurt in Jurong factory fire

Three workers were hurt after a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Tanjong Penjuru last night.

The blaze was so large that it had residents of HDB blocks some 2km away concerned.

Mr Osman Mohd, 68, called The New Paper hotline upon seeing the fire at 9.40pm.

"I was coming out of the toilet when I saw the fire. I was shocked and immediately called out to my wife," said the security guard.

Mr Osman, who lives on the 11th storey in Teban Gardens, said the fire looked at least five-storey tall and gave off thick, black smoke.

"I was concerned because there are many oil and chemical factories in that area.

"Thankfully, there is a reservoir between the factories and my home."

Another man who saw the fire, Mr Rosmann, 40, said he was taking a stroll at West Coast Park at about 9pm.

"I was five or six bus stops away from the scene, yet I could see the fire," he said.

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman said it received a call for assistance at 8.53pm and dispatched three fire engines, three Red Rhinos, 10 supporting vehicles, two ambulances and an unmanned fire-fighting vehicle.

The fire was put out only after 1½ hours. Fifty SCDF personnel were deployed.

Three men, believed to be workers, were taken to Singapore General Hospital. Two of them suffered burns.

When TNP visited at the scene at 10.15pm, a burnt smell lingered in the air.

A fire engine was seen spraying water at the factory's large cylindrical tanks, believed to be containing chemicals, to cool them down.

A part of the affected building was charred and looked to have melted.

This article was first published on March 07, 2015.
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The building belongs to Singapore Highpolymer Chemical Products, which could not be reached for comment.