logo
Family says phone that sparked while charging caused fire at Toa Payoh HDB flat

Family says phone that sparked while charging caused fire at Toa Payoh HDB flat

FB screengrab/ Singapore Civil Defence Force
SINGAPORE: A fire broke out at a Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat at Toa Payoh before noon on Monday (Jul 14). Fortunately, an elderly woman and her two grandchildren were able to leave the flat in time to escape serious injury. Two of them were evaluated for smoke inhalation, however.
While one was brought to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, the other declined to be sent there.
According to its Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received an alert concerning the fire at a unit on the 12th storey at Block 194 Kim Keat Avenue at around 11:50 a.m. on Jul 14.
When SCDF officers arrived on the scene, they saw that one of the bedrooms in the unit had caught fire, which they were able to extinguish using a water jet. However, the fire caused the rest of the unit, as well as the corridor area outside the unit, to sustain heat and smoke damage. See also Tree falls in Marsiling Park, killing 38-year-old woman
Around 60 people living in the block were evacuated by the SCDF officers as a precautionary measure.
The SCDF added in its post that its preliminary findings indicated the fire likely originated from an electrical source in the affected bedroom.
'To prevent such fires, SCDF would like to remind the public:
a) Do not overload electrical outlets with electrical appliances;
b) Always switch off appliances when they are not in use;
c) Check the condition of wires regularly. Frayed wires or cracked cords should be replaced or repaired immediately.
d) Do not run wires under carpets or mats, and keep wires away from hot surfaces;
e) Use only appliances and electrical plugs bearing the Safety Mark. The categories of appliances can be found at http://www.consumerproductsafety.gov.sg;
f) Do not leave batteries or devices charging unattended for an extended period of time, or leave it charging overnight,' SCDF added in its post.
Lianhe Zaobao spoke to the family affected by the fire, who told them that a phone belonging to a Ms Liu had been charging at the time of the incident. Ms Liu's 70-year-old mother was at home, along with her 15-year-old niece and 6-year-old nephew.
As the phone was charging, it began to spark, emitting smoke. When Ms Liu's mother saw this, she immediately alerted her grandchildren so they could leave quickly. While they were able to do so, the family unfortunately suffered losses from the fire, including their pet cat, who died.
The older woman said she was sure it was the phone that caught fire, and not the socket where it was plugged. Ms Liu added that the phone had been purchased less than six months ago. /TISG
Read also: Jurong West landlord evicts tenant after his power bank catches fire & causes damage document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { const trigger = document.getElementById("ads-trigger"); if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { entries.forEach(entry => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here observer.unobserve(entry.target); // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); observer.observe(trigger); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Singaporeans praise ‘old timer' bus captain for helping elderly auntie with her wheelchair
Singaporeans praise ‘old timer' bus captain for helping elderly auntie with her wheelchair

Independent Singapore

time7 hours ago

  • Independent Singapore

Singaporeans praise ‘old timer' bus captain for helping elderly auntie with her wheelchair

SINGAPORE: A heartwarming video of a gentlemanly act from a bus captain has gone viral recently, with many netizens expressing admiration for him. A video posted on the TikTok account of @ kiranama3 on Jul 19 (Saturday) showed an older lady on a bus manoeuvering her wheelchair, which was heavily laden with various items such as groceries, so she could alight from the bus. @kiranama3 singaporesingaporebus ♬ original sound – Mahaonnath – Mahaonnath The bus captain, who looked even older than the woman, came promptly to her aid and extended the ramp so she could push the wheelchair down with ease. He even guided the chair with one hand, which was probably most helpful to the auntie, as she looked like she had some difficulty walking. The woman could also be heard asking the bus captain if he was working late that day. He answered her that his shift would be ending soon. Read related: SMRT Bus Captain returns passenger's lost wallet despite SG-MY commute The brief but friendly exchange, as well as the dignified way the elderly bus captain helped the auntie, received a lot of praise from netizens commenting on the video. 'Old timer driver in Singapore still strong. Anyone can guess how long this driver has been driving for SBS. He must have driven a manual bus at that time,' one wrote. 'This senior citizen bus captain is power!!!' commented another. One called him the 'Best driver.' 'Singapore's public transport is always the best. It's the commuters sometimes that can be unreasonable (in general, not referring to auntie),' observed another. To their point, there are many stories of rude commuters who put their feet up on other seats on buses, or those who place their belongings on seats on the bus or train. ' Agreed. It's the infamous MRT auntie who refused to remove her bag from the reserved seat that everyone hates,' a commenter answered. What seems to have stood out to some TikTok users is how patient the bus captain stayed, a quality which can be in short supply in the city-state. 'As we age, mobility can become a challenge. Even crossing traffic lights quickly becomes fearful for those struggling to walk fast. They can even pull leg muscles when they suddenly try to sprint across the roads. S'pore is often less patient in a fast-paced life,' one wrote. A few suggested that the two know each other, based on the friendly tone of their exchange. /TISG Read also: SBS bus captain praised for returning lost backpack containing S$14K

Woman calls it quits after realising she couldn't live in her boyfriend's former matrimonial home
Woman calls it quits after realising she couldn't live in her boyfriend's former matrimonial home

Independent Singapore

time7 hours ago

  • Independent Singapore

Woman calls it quits after realising she couldn't live in her boyfriend's former matrimonial home

SINGAPORE: A woman recently shared online that she ended a budding relationship after realising she couldn't bring herself to live in her boyfriend's former matrimonial home. Posting on Reddit, the 35-year-old explained that both she and her 39–year-old boyfriend owned HDB flats. She had purchased a four-room unit in the Canberra area last year as a single owner, while her boyfriend was in the process of taking over full ownership of a four-room flat in the east, which he had previously lived in with his ex-wife. Since HDB regulations don't allow couples to each own a flat, the pair had to discuss what to do next. That's when things got tricky. According to her, she didn't want to give up her flat to move in with him. The idea of living in a space that had been part of a seven-year relationship didn't sit well with her. 'I was not keen by the idea that he's lived there with his ex for over 5 years, together for 7 years?' she wrote. 'I wanted to avoid the emotional baggage that comes with it.' Her boyfriend, however, wasn't willing to part with his flat either. He felt it had better resale potential and that its value would appreciate significantly over time, while hers would likely stay about the same. A friend, who knew about the situation, told her she was 'being unreasonable' and suggested that they could simply renovate the space. 'He [my friend] was convinced that we could have spent some money on a complete makeover of his flat, i.e., hack the walls, floors, replace the furnitures, repaint the house, etc., to make it look as good as brand new but mentally, it still irks me knowing that they've shared the same space,' she wrote. 'I know some people are willing parties to buy over the ex's share of the flat (good for you!!!), but it's just not for me,' she added. At the end of her post, she asked the Reddit community, 'Was wondering if it's normal to feel out of place, or am I over-reacting over something simple like this?' 'Memories within the four walls can be rewritten with the present.' In the comments, many Singaporean Redditors strongly supported the woman's decision to end the relationship. 'Your concerns are valid. Would be pretty complicated moving into his matrimonial home since all his memories with his ex-partner (and kids) were all created there,' one Redditor wrote. 'If he doesn't agree to moving elsewhere, you are better off with someone else.' Another shared her own experience, writing, 'I'm living with my BF in the home he lived in with his ex-wife and their children. My circumstances are a little different because it's his family's multi-gen legacy landed kinda type, but sometimes I still get a little sad and feel little bit like the outsider because some of her things are still here and there.' A third said, 'Nahh, you're not overreacting or at least not for me, the thought of living in the same house as his ex-wife used to would give me the biggest ick.' Still, not everyone saw things the same way. Several Redditors felt that the woman was indeed 'overreacting,' and said it was 'unfair' of her to expect the man to give up his flat simply because he had lived there with his family. 'As a female, I do think that it's ridiculous to expect that from another guy. It's not like you don't have your own past relationships and baggages,' one Redditor added. 'Yes, it is a home he shared with his ex-wife, but memories within the four walls can be rewritten with the present. Personally, I'll be able to accept a guy like that, but then again, I'm not the emotional type.' In other news, an employer took to social media to share that her domestic helper refuses to care for her toddler, even when the child is sick or in distress. Posting in the 'Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper' Facebook group, the employer explained that she had clearly laid out her expectations when hiring the helper around five months ago. Read more: Employer says her helper refuses to care for her 3 yo daughter, claims she left child in soiled diaper and standing in her own vomit Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store