3 hurt at FairPrice store as deep fryer catches fire

3 hurt at FairPrice store as deep fryer catches fire

SINGAPORE - Three employees manning the Ready-to-Eat counter at NTUC FairPrice Xtra store in Jem shopping centre suffered minor burns when a deep fryer caught fire on Wednesday morning.

A FairPrice spokesman said the incident at 10.30am triggered the alarm and set off the sprinkler above the area.

The store was evacuated and customers were given chocolate bars while they waited.

Singapore Civil Defence Force said the sprinkler had doused the fire by the time its men and machines arrived eight minutes later.

A man and a woman working for the Ready-to-Eat vendor were taken to Singapore General Hospital with burns on their forearms.

A third employee was taken to a nearby clinic for treatment.

FairPrice said two of the employees were given outpatient treatment while the third will remain in hospital for observation.

It did not identify the workers.

When The Straits Times visited the scene, the stall's banner was singed and part of an industrial oven was black with soot.

The store resumed business at 11.20am but the affected counter remained closed.

It normally sells cooked produce such as pork belly and curry chicken.

FairPrice said it is working with the authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.


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