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CNA
7 hours ago
- General
- CNA
'Most of the things are gone': Toa Payoh resident's flat gutted by fire that started one floor down
SINGAPORE: Although the fire did not originate from her flat, one resident watched helplessly as flames spread and engulfed her home on Tuesday (Jul 29). Ms Cheryl Chan, 70, was at work when she received word that a fire had broken out at her block. The blaze started at about 1pm in a 10th-floor unit at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8, and quickly spread upwards to her flat directly above on the 11th floor. Seven people, including a firefighter and a child, were taken to hospital. Neither Ms Chan nor her sister-in-law, who lives with her, was home at the time. But they now have to grapple with the loss of their belongings and a home nearly destroyed. Ms Chan returned to inspect her flat for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. 'Most of the things, I think are gone already,' said Ms Chan, who is an administrative assistant. When CNA visited her home, there was a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) cordon at the door. The flat's interior was badly charred, though some blackened furniture remained intact. Still, she put on a strong front, saying that at least both she and her sister-in-law were safe. 'They say in Cantonese, suey lor (unlucky) … things can just happen, we just have to take it easy,' she said. 'It's something that no one wants to have, this problem.' While she was stoic when speaking to reporters, Ms Chan became visibly emotional when neighbours stopped to hug and console her, saying they were thankful she was not injured. 'They offered me anything, saying that if I needed help to let them know,' she said. 'They're all very nice … we are lucky we have very good neighbours.' Ms Chan said that while her flat is covered under HDB's fire insurance scheme, she has not yet worked out what compensation she can get. 'There's nothing I can say, because we also don't know what's happening, and we have to wait for more updates,' she said. 'Whatever we can claim, we will claim.' She and her sister-in-law have been relocated to a rental flat at Toa Payoh Lorong 5. Unable to return home last night, she borrowed her sister's clothes to sleep in. NEIGHBOURS HUDDLED TO ESCAPE THICK SMOKE Harrowing details of the blaze emerged in the hours following it. CNA spoke to the owner of the 10th-floor flat where the fire originated, who was left reeling after his wife and helper were hospitalised, and his home destroyed in the blaze. The fire not only affected residents of the two damaged units, but caused significant disruption throughout the block. Mr Jeffrey Foo, who lives on the 15th floor, said black smoke began to seep into his home. Along with several neighbours, he climbed up to the 24th floor to escape. The 79-year-old retiree and some neighbours climbed up the stairs to the 24th floor to escape the smoke. One of the home owners on that floor opened his doors to the residents who holed up inside, praying the fire would not spread further up. 'Some of them were crying, very poor thing, they were shocked,' said Mr Foo. 'The fumes were terrible.' It was only after over an hour at about 2.30pm that SCDF personnel contained the fire and safely ushered the residents down. A woman whose elderly father lives in the flat opposite Ms Chan's said his unit was not damaged but she was worried he would be affected by the smoke. SCDF personnel evacuated him safely. The woman, in her 50s, said her father was uninjured and is now staying with her. Residents said those living on the 10th and 11th floors are still unable to return to their homes as the electricity on those floors remains cut off and is expected to be restored only after Aug 4. CNA observed water damage in a ninth-floor unit directly below the source of the fire. Water dripped from the ceiling and the visibly distressed residents declined to speak to reporters. CALLS FOR SAFETY REVIEW IN OLDER BLOCKS MORE SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE EVACUATION PROCEDURES Another resident, who lives on the 13th floor with his wife and two young children, said his flat lost power overnight and the family had to stay with his parents. His electricity was restored on Wednesday. He raised concerns about evacuation procedures, noting the block is an older point block with a single staircase. He recalled that a fire 20 years ago prompted residents to request a second staircase, but this was never built. He also said many residents living above the blaze on Tuesday could not evacuate the block as the fire was near the staircase, and had no choice but to head upstairs for safety. 'It's up to the authorities or town council or HDB to see whether they want to do this, or any other measures, such as fire extinguishers,' he said. MP for the area Saktiandi Supaat told CNA he has heard similar feedback about safety at point blocks, and has relayed these concerns to HDB, the town council and SCDF. Mr Saktiandi also said affected households have been temporarily rehoused by HDB in nearby units, likely until flat owners complete the necessary repairs. Neighbouring units that were badly affected have also been offered interim housing. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he said essential items such as mattresses, daily necessities and bottled water have been distributed through the Toa Payoh East Community Development and Welfare Fund and community partners such as Toa Payoh Seu Teck Sean Tong. Self-help groups have also donated clothing to affected residents. A community WhatsApp channel has been set up to keep residents updated on repair works to the block, he added.
New Paper
13 hours ago
- General
- New Paper
'I want to help': Foreign workers rescued driver from Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole
Construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah and his colleagues were at a PUB worksite near the One Amber condominium when they heard a loud sound on the evening of July 26. They rushed out of the worksite to see a sinkhole in the middle of Tanjong Katong Road South, and a black car that had fallen in. To his surprise, he saw a woman coming out of the car. "There was one car, and one madam was inside the car. I was thinking, 'somebody has dropped inside, I want to help'," said Mr Subbiah, who recounted the rescue to reporters at an interview on July 27 near the scene of the incident. He gave instructions to three other workers to toss the woman some rope so they could pull her out. In all, the rescue effort took around three to five minutes, said Mr Subbiah, 46, who works for Ohin Construction, which was working on a sewerage project in the area. "One of my workers wanted to go down and help her, but I said they (won't be able to) climb out. So I told them to throw (her) the rope first," he said. The sinkhole had formed at around 5.50pm on July 26, according to national water agency PUB. It caused two lanes of the road to collapse, just adjacent to a PUB worksite. Residents had earlier told reporters that there was a burst water pipe at the same area the night before the sinkhole appeared. The sinkhole later filled with water, but it was dry when workers rescued the driver. Mr Subbiah said he and his colleagues acted on instinct to save the woman, which was why they moved quickly. "Someone had fallen in. We were just determined to save her as fast as possible. That was the goal," said Mr Subbiah in Tamil. The Tamil Nadu native has been working in Singapore for 22 years, and this is the first time he has been involved in such a rescue effort. He added that they asked the woman if there was anyone else in the car after they pulled her out, and she replied saying her IC and phone were inside. Mr Subbiah handed her his phone so she could call her daughter. "We saved a life… whatever happened, that is all that matters," he told the media in Tamil. Footage on social media also showed other workers quickly placing barricades next to the sinkhole. The driver was later taken to hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force. PUB said in a July 27 statement on Facebook that the woman is able to walk and undergoing further medical checks. On July 27, Mountbatten MP Gho Sze Kee, who visited the site in the morning, said the woman is in hospital for observation and that she has been experiencing muscular pain.
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Firefighters battling Toa Payoh Lorong 8 blaze
Firefighters are battling a blaze in an HDB flat at Block 229 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh. In a Facebook post on July 29, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at about 1pm. Efforts to put out the fire are ongoing, it added. When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at about 2.20pm, at least 11 firefighters could be seen running in a cordoned-off area where the police were also present, to gather equipment, while crowds had gathered. Thick black smoke could also be seen from three of the affected unit's windows. The damage and smoke had also transferred to the surrounding units, leaving a thick black cast. An older woman could also be seen being ferried out in a wheelchair and being attended to by SCDF paramedics. This is a developing story.
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
Twice in 2 weeks: Fire breaks out at Toa Payoh Lorong 8, Singapore News
A fire has broken out at Toa Payoh a HDB flat in Toa Payoh on Tuesday (July 29) afternoon. In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)said it was alerted to a fire at Block 229 Lor 8 Toa Payoh at 1.10pm. "SCDF is currently at the scene conducting a firefighting operation," the post read. AsiaOne has reached out to SCDF and the police for more information. This latest incident comes just after two died in a fatal fire that broke out in a second-floor unit at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 last Tuesday (July 22) evening. The police said that they were alerted to the fire at around 7.30pm and found a 56-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman lying motionless in the unit. They were subsequently pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF medic. SCDF added in a separate update that three people from neighbouring units were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital. This is a developing story. khooyihang@
Straits Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Woman motorcyclist hurt after car crashes into bollard next to Clementi coffee shop
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A photo of the aftermath of the accident appears to show it happened at a zebra crossing between Block 451 and Block 449. SINGAPORE - An 83-year-old female driver is assisting with police investigations after an accident involving two cars and a motorcycle near a coffee shop in the Clementi t own centre on July 28 . A 26-year-old female motorcyclist was taken to National University Hospital while conscious , said the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The authorities said they were alerted to the accident at Block 449 Clementi Avenue 3 at around 6.35pm on July 28 . A photo of the aftermath of the accident appears to show it happened at a zebra crossing between Block 451 and Block 449 . The photo, posted on Facebook page SGRV Front Man, shows a beige multi-purpose vehicle at rest diagonally on the zebra crossing, against the direction of traffic and facing the coffee shop . A motorcycle can be seen toppled on the ground beside the bollards at the zebra crossing. A number of onlookers can also be seen having gathered in the photo. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce Singapore NDP 2025: Enhanced security measures to be put in place around the Padang Business SIA shares tumble 6.8% after first-quarter profit slide Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far A photo uploaded in the comment section of the Facebook post appears to show the damaged car and bollard, and debris on the ground. Police investigations are ongoing.
