Around 120 evacuated, one taken to hospital after blaze breaks out at Junction 8 eatery

About 120 people were evacuated from Junction 8 after a fire broke out in one of the eateries there.

A Threads user, yezmyn, posted on Tuesday (Aug 11) about her meal being disrupted after a crowd started to form outside Yakiniku Like.

"Was about to dig into our dinner at Yoshinoya Bishan when a crowd started gathering outside Yakiniku Like," she wrote.

She then noticed thick grey smoke filling the air before her eyes started to water and she began to choke. 

"We were ordered to evacuate," wrote the user, with a video of the scene attached.

One taken to hospital

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to a fire at 9 Bishan Place, where the mall is located, at around 7.10pm on Aug 11.

SCDF added that the fire, which involved a table grill and exhaust ducting in the dining area of the restaurant, was extinguished using a hose reel.

One person was assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital, said SCDF.

Around 120 people were also evacuated from the Bishan mall as a precautionary measure, said the police and SCDF.

The SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.

A Junction 8 spokesperson told AsiaOne that no other injuries were reported, adding that the affected restaurant is "temporarily closed”, but the rest of the mall is "operating as usual".

The building’s safety measures were immediately activated, including the automated sprinkler system and fire curtain, and that the mall is fully cooperating with the authorities' investigations, the spokesperson added.

An eatery employee who declined to be identified told the Straits Times that this was the first time a fire like this had happened.

AsiaOne has contacted Yakiniku Like for comment.

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laili.abdeen@asiaone.com