One injured in Clementi fire

SINGAPORE- Madam Maggie Tong and her husband were about to tuck into their zi char dishes when they saw her younger sister rushing towards the coffee shop.

"Our home is on fire!" her younger sister shouted.

It was about 9pm yesterday and the trio dashed about 100m to Block 427, Clementi Avenue 3.

"I didn't even look up at my seventh-floor unit. We dashed straight to the neighbourhood police post below for help," said Madam Tong, 54. Madam Tong's sister, who is in her 40s, was taken to the hospital for slight burns on her limbs.

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) later evacuated residents in the area.

"I saw thick black smoke from my window and quickly left the flat," said a 74-year-old retiree, who wanted to be known as Mr Koh. He lives on the 12th storey. Residents gathered at the void deck because it was raining.

The fire had been extinguished when The New Paper arrived at 10.15pm.

About 50 residents were at the void deck by then, waiting for police to tell them it was safe to go home.

When TNP left the scene at 11pm, residents still could not return to their flats.

Madam Tong went around the void deck to apologise to affected residents.

"Sorry for the trouble caused," she said.

A sixth-storey resident who wanted to be known as Madam Chua, 47, said: "I still have to work tomorrow, so it caused inconvenience to me.

"But I'm glad my elderly mother was not hurt."

The SCDF said it received a call about the fire at 9.23pm and despatched a fire engine and two Red Rhino vehicles.

An ambulance and two support vehicles were also part of the team that responded. The fire was contained in a bedroom and SCDF said it took one water jet to douse the flames.

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