Fire drill? No, it's for real

Fire drill? No, it's for real

When he heard the fire alarm yesterday, he thought it was strange that the workers in Hitachi Chemical (Singapore) in Loyang were having another fire drill so soon after the previous drill last week.

It was only when Mr Jaffar Mohd Ali, 65, heard and saw fire engines arriving that he realised that the building was on fire.

RUNNING OUT

The security officer at Changi Logistics Centre, which is across the road from Hitachi Chemical, said he saw many workers running out of the building and gathering at the outdoor carpark in the compound.

"I saw white smoke coming from the back of the factory and I could detect the pungent smell of burning plastic in the air."

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call at 1.43pm and sent three fire engines, a Red Rhino, two fire bikes and six support vehicles to the scene.

The fire was put out with one water jet and two hose reels belonging to Hitachi Chemical.

NO INJURIES

The SCDF said the 450 staff members had evacuated the building before its officers arrived and no injuries were reported.

Hitachi Chemical declined to comment on the fire. Employees also declined to be interviewed.

The SCDF said the fire had broken out in the power room on the second level of the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.


This article was first published on Oct 9, 2014.
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