Four taken to hospital after fire involving PMA breaks out at Ang Mo Kio HDB lift lobby
Four people were taken to hospital after a fire involving a personal mobility aid broke out at the lift lobby of Block 641 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 on Tuesday night. About 200 residents were evacuated as a precaution. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
- Fire involving a personal mobility aid broke out at Block 641 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 on Tuesday night.
- Four people were taken to hospital and about 200 residents were evacuated.
- SCDF said investigations into the cause are ongoing.
SINGAPORE: Four people were taken to hospital after a fire involving a personal mobility aid (PMA) broke out at the lift lobby of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Ang Mo Kio on Tuesday (4 Nov) night.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at Block 641, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, at about 11.15pm.
“The fire, which involved a personal mobility aid at a lift lobby on the eighth floor, was extinguished by firefighters using a water jet,” it said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (5 Nov).
Four residents were assessed for smoke inhalation and subsequently taken to Singapore General Hospital.
About 200 occupants were also evacuated from the affected block as a precautionary measure.
According to The Straits Times, the block consists of two-room rental flats and has 11 floors, with 24 units on each floor.
SCDF said investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
In August, three people were hospitalised after a fire involving a PMA broke out in a flat in Toa Payoh.
That same month, two people were killed after a blaze erupted in a Bukit Merah flat, which SCDF said was likely caused by a battery pack from a personal mobility device (PMD) in the living room.
“Motorised devices which are modified, not properly maintained, or charged using non-original chargers pose a fire risk,” SCDF added.
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in September that authorities are considering tougher action against sellers and users of non-compliant active mobility devices (AMDs), which include PMAs.
He revealed in a written parliamentary reply that there have been 187 fires involving AMDs over the past five years — 46 per cent linked to PMDs, 42 per cent to power-assisted bicycles, and 12 per cent to PMAs.
In October, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat also cautioned against purchasing illegal PMDs online, warning that such devices may overheat and catch fire during charging.
He noted that PMD fires are an increasing concern in Singapore and urged users to buy their devices only from approved retailers.
0 Comments