Toa Payoh fire: Faulty riser could be due to underground pipe leak, says town council
A fire broke out at Block 229 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh on Tuesday afternoon. It started in a flat on the 10th floor and spread to another unit on the 11th floor.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Wednesday that during the firefighting operation, firefighters discovered that the block's dry rising main was not in "proper working condition", and water could not be "charged up" to the affected floors.
A dry rising main is a vertical red pipe installed in a building. During a fire, it will be charged with water from a fire engine to facilitate firefighting operations on higher floors.
Firefighters instead set up hoses directly from the fire engine at the ground level to establish a water supply to the 10th and 11th floors via the staircase.
Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said it was informed of the matter by SCDF after the fire was extinguished. Both SCDF and the town council then conducted a joint inspection of the dry riser.
"SCDF requires (a) hydrostatic test to the dry riser to be conducted annually," added the town council.
"The specific dry riser at Block 229 was last tested by an authorised fire prevention and protection system contractor on Aug 28, 2024 and was found to be in working condition. The next inspection for the dry riser is scheduled on Aug 5, 2025.
"In our discussion with SCDF, the probable reason for the failure of the dry riser could be due to an underground pipe leak. The annual hydrostatic test includes checks to detect such leaks."
FIRE IN 2020 "UNRELATED"
The town council also said the fire suppression systems involved in Tuesday's fire and a separate blaze at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh in August 2020 were unrelated.
The incident in 2020 involved a wet riser system, while the current incident involves a dry riser system.
Following the incident in 2020, the town council engaged a professional engineer to conduct a thorough independent investigation.
The professional engineer determined that the wet riser showed no signs of failure or deterioration, and the probable cause was due to the unintentional closure of the riser isolation switch by the contractor during their routine inspection.
Subsequently, the SCDF conducted 'comprehensive inspections' and concluded that all fire safety systems were in good working order.
'The wet riser system at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh has been properly maintained and remains in full working condition.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Maid's employer says, 'I have a horrible, unhygienic helper who neither washes her clothes nor throws away her used pads'
SINGAPORE: If household drama had a smell, this one might stink of unwashed laundry, chocolate wrappers under the bed, and unclosed cooking oil caps. A Singaporean employer just aired out what she calls her 'horrible, unhygienic helper' in a post that's now the talk of the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper Facebook group, and it seems like it's messier than a toddler with a tub of Milo powder. 'Own clothes can accumulate for 4 days, not washed,' the employer began, laying out a sort of 12-point exposé that reads like the script of a domestic horror story. 'Used pad, forgets to throw (many times!)… wrappers just tuck under the mattress, squeeze behind the cabinets… sleep in the kitchen during daytime… see phone until 4 am, not sleep.' Her full list is as follows: Own clothes can accumulate for 4 days, not washed. Eat chocolate, biscuits, and sweets in the room and the wrappers just tuck under the mattress, squeeze behind the cabinets, keep inside wardrobe drawers. Packets of unfinished Milo powder are squeezed and tucked behind cabinets. Clothes are not folded and just dumped in the back of the wardrobe. Cook, but don't clean the hood. Many times, cooking oil caps are not closed. Used pads, forgets to throw (many times!). See phone until 4 am, not sleep (rest time at 9.30 pm). Daytime sleep lying flat in the kitchen. Go out without permission and told us she went to buy iced Milo, missing for 3 hrs. Many more, too long to list! Her final blow: 'And they think they do a good job and wanted to be treated like a princess, what a joke! You yourself treat yourself like dirt and can never be a princess lah, princess got so dirty one meh?' 'Not all helpers are like this…' Naturally, the comment section turned into a virtual town hall meeting. One user exclaimed, 'This sounds just like my maid!' Another dropped her own hygiene horror story: 'My ex-maid ate an orange and threw the peel under her bed. The chip packet is also on the floor. Worse than a toddler!' However, it wasn't all anti-helper talk. Several users clapped back — not at the maid, but at the employer herself. 'Why do you complain in public? As a good employer, you need to teach your helper, ma'am,' one chided. 'This has nothing to do with culture — it's personality,' added another. 'Not all helpers are like this.' 'You gotta show her (maid) the ropes…' Some suggested the maid's behaviour might stem from unfamiliarity with Singapore's hygiene standards. 'Maybe she's from a rural area where cleaning up after yourself isn't taught the same way. If she's new, then you gotta show her the ropes,' said a commenter. One went deeper and called out the employer's tone: 'Saying she treats herself like dirt is telling us more about you than her.' Still, some supported the employer's frustration. 'I would never keep someone whose hygiene is this bad,' wrote a concerned parent. 'This isn't just about mess — it's a health issue,' she added. 'Maybe the helper is trying to give you a taste of your own medicine…' At the heart of it, the drama reveals something many Singaporean households already know: The maid-employer relationship is a two-way street paved with expectations, assumptions, and sometimes, Milo spills. While some defended the post as 'awareness,' others argued that shaming helpers online won't solve anything. 'Posting here won't help. Sit down and talk to your maid. If she doesn't listen, give a warning. If still no change — let her go,' advised one voice of reason. Another user offered a reality check that cut through the drama like a hot knife through expired chocolate wrapped packets: 'Some employers are also messy. Leave bras and panties lying around like snake skin. So maybe the helper is trying to give you a taste of your own medicine so that you feel what she felt.' Hygiene matters. But so does communication. And mutual respect. Whether you side with the employer or the maid, the viral post shows the deep divide in how domestic work is viewed and valued. Yes, hygiene matters, but so does communication and mutual respect. So maybe before reaching for the keyboard next time, both employers and helpers should reach for the dustpan instead — and have a real heart-to-heart conversation with each other. Because no one wants to live in a house full of tension… or chocolate wrappers or even worse, used pads under the mattress. Speaking of hygiene, in other news, the tables turned when a helper questioned if it was reasonable for her employer to make her hand-wash their most unhygienic personal wear. You can read about that household drama over here: Maid asks, 'Is it normal for my employer to want me to hand-wash her undies, husband's boxer shorts, and 9 family members' underwear?'
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
28 y/o man finds dating in Singapore ‘so difficult,' says many women have high expectations from men
SINGAPORE: We all know how brutal the job market is these days, but is dating just as much of a nightmare? Are singles struggling to find love the same way they struggle to land a decent job? One 28-year-old man says that, at least for him, dating in Singapore is incredibly 'difficult.' Despite putting in the effort, like 'using dating apps,' going on multiple dates, and trying to meet new people, he has yet to find a meaningful, lasting relationship. '[I've never] been attached, and there's always a pattern: I go on a couple of dates, think that things are going ok, then boom, ghosted,' he said. 'When I am myself with the ladies I went on dates with, I just become a friend? When I'm not myself with them, it feels way too fake for me. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.' He also noted that many of the women he has dated seem to have very high expectations. '[They] seem to expect the men to treat first, the men to provide, the men to do everything, etc.,' he wrote. Looking for some perspective, he asked other locals, 'Why is dating in SG so difficult? Perhaps this whole dating thing just isn't for me? Anyone in a similar situation?' 'Just remember, don't spend everything.' In the comments, some locals shared their thoughts on why dating in Singapore can be so tough. One person wrote, 'Dating is horrible in SG. Both parties demand too much from their dates. Everything is all about materialistic value. People can say 'oh I want a guy/girl who is family-oriented, honest, loyal, etc.' but when such person come into their life, they will treat that person like a piece of sh*t and drive them out of their lives. It is better to be single these days.' Another commented, 'We live in a materialistic society, and social media makes it worse.' Others, meanwhile, gave the man some advice. One said, 'State what you expect from a relationship (relationship goals) on the first date, and ask her for her relationship goals as well. If they don't match on the deal breakers, there is no need to go on another date, and it will help prevent you from experiencing dates ghosting you. 'I recognise this may seem rather intense for a first date, but the ladies who are looking for a serious relationship will understand why you are asking. At most, you can explain why.' Another added, 'Just remember, don't spend everything and give all the time. It gets too tiring unless you print dollars. In this modern world, we should change their expectations by seeing if they are willing to go Dutch on the first date.' In other news, a woman has taken to Reddit to share that she's been feeling increasingly anxious about her relationship after her boyfriend's parents unexpectedly asked him for a large sum of money. On Sunday (Aug 10), the woman wrote on the asksg forum that her boyfriend, an international student on a scholarship, had been unable to save much since coming to Singapore. So when he landed an internship this year and began receiving a steady income, she thought, 'things were finally looking up.' Unfortunately, that sense of relief was short-lived. Out of the blue, she said his parents, whose business is failing and who have a five-figure debt, contacted him with an urgent request for financial help. Read also: 'I know I can't overstep but…' — Woman anxious after BF's parents ask for large sum of money while he's still studying
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Independent Singapore
S'porean who took a long break from work now feels insecure about their skills and fears making another wrong move, seeks advice
Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only) SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user asked for some career advice on the platform, explaining that they are kind of at a loss, since they took a long break from work and now feel insecure about their skills. They are also struggling due to possible burnout, and no longer have the same energy they had when they first started working. In an Aug 15 (Friday) post on r/askSingapore, u/ OreoSpaceCat wrote that since the company they worked for failed and they were let go, they took a 'relatively long break.' At this point, they don't feel a lot of motivation to have a job just to 'survive' and still feel very tired, while at the same time feeling that they can't just do nothing. 'Previously, I pretty much took a leap of faith and tried pursuing my passion, which all sort of went downhill after the last job. And before that, I had just been trying out different jobs, but they all didn't feel like something I wanted to pursue in the long run, hence why I chose passion,' the post author wrote. And while they had once been 'super pumped about it and genuinely could see myself doing great in the long run,' they now feel that everything they're doing is wrong and that they've made a big mistake, given that they're not pursuing a stable job like others are. They now want to find even a part-time job unrelated to their studies, but feel afraid of choosing the wrong path again. 'How can I move past this hurdle or know I'm doing the right thing?' the post author asked. Fortunately, there are Reddit users who were willing to dispense advice and wisdom for the post author's situation. 'Find a job that you don't dislike, can be damn good at, and pays the bills. The keyword is 'don't dislike,' you don't have to like it, you just don't hate it,' a commenter wrote. Another encouraged the post author to build their self-confidence up again, saying that it 'comes with mastery and belief. Take small steps to build that up… allow those small consistent steps to compound. Give yourself 3 months, and you will see a huge difference. Do silly things, celebrate random stuff. Make a paperball basket shot, celebrate. Say hi to the bus driver and believe that you are a polite fella? Celebrate. And while doing all these, pick up some hard skills/ upskill. Excel skills? Sure. Learn to vibe code? Sure.' 'Having a part-time job is a good way to help you find out if you have enough interest to go full-time, unless you intend to go corporate. A lot of successful people go down several paths before landing on the right one. Don't be so hard on yourself, you are only mid-20s, it's still a long way to go!' advised a third. /TISG Read also: S'porean says he experienced culture shock when he moved from private sector to government work () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
