Jalan Bukit Merah flat fire may have started from PMD's battery pack in living room: SCDF

A man and a woman in their 30s died following a blaze that took place at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah on Wednesday (Aug 13) afternoon.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the fire at around 4pm, according to a Facebook post that day.

Upon arrival, they saw that the living room and bedroom of a unit on the fourth floor were on fire, and worked to extinguish the flames with a water jet.

Amid the operation, firefighters found two unresponsive individuals in the kitchen and immediately carried them out of the unit before conveying them to Singapore General Hospital.

According to police, a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were conveyed unconscious to the hospital, where they subsequently died.

The police do not suspect foul play and investigations are ongoing.

Two other people from neighbouring units were also conveyed to SGH — one for smoke inhalation and another who felt unwell, SCDF stated.

Around 60 residents from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.

In an update to their investigation of the fire, the SCDF stated that preliminary findings indicate the fire could have started from a battery pack of a personal mobility device (PMD) in the flat's living room.

The SCDF advised members of the public to not leave batteries or devices charging for prolonged periods or charging unattended overnight.

Purchasing or using non-original batteries is also not advised.

@asiaone Two persons died after an afternoon blaze in a fourth floor unit at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah on Wednesday (Aug 13). The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that during the firefighting operation, two people were found unresponsive in the kitchen of the fourth-floor unit. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were taken unconscious to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where they later died. No foul play is suspected based on the police's preliminary investigations. Two other people from neighbouring units were also taken to the hospital. Around 60 people from the affected block were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Investigations by SCDF and the police are ongoing. #sgnews #Singapore #Fire ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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khooyihang@asiaone.com