HUNDREDS of office workers at a 42-storey building in 6 Battery road, which houses the Standard Chartered Bank and other offices, were evacuated just before lunchtime on Friday after a fire broke out in the basement carpark.

The fire was put out shortly after the Singapore Civil Defence Force rushed to the scene. SCDF was alerted to the fire at about 11.40 am.

One woman, who complained of difficulty in breathing, was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

CapitalCommerical Trust, which manages the Singapore River front building in the heart of the Central Business District, raised the first fire alarm at about 11.30 am, followed by a second alarm 10 minutes later, urging everyone in the building to leave their offices immediately by the stairways, and to gather at the back of the building along the river promenade .

Some office workers had thought it was only a fire drill when the alarm went off.

'But our fire warden told us to get out immediately and ask questions later. I am glad we did as we saw smoke coming out from the carpark when we reached the ground floor,' said a bank employee who works on the 6th floor.

Smoke was seen coming out from an air vent on the fifth floor of the building and some office workers who went for their lunch break said the tunnel leading to Raffles Place MRT station was also filled with fumes.

If you have more details about the fire or photos, send them to stonline@sph.com.sg or call us at 6319-5095.