The authorities have confirmed that two people died in the fire at a 65th floor unit of the Marina Bay Suites condominium late Monday night. Police are as yet unable to confirm the gender, age and race of the two people.

As of 9.30am on Tuesday morning, the building was still being cordoned off, with police officers at the scene. A woman who looked to be in her 40s and another who looked to be in her early 20s were spotted at the scene looking distraught.

Police received a call at 10.11pm requesting assistance at a building along Central Boulevard. Upon arrival, it was established that a fire had occurred. Two persons were discovered by paramedics and pronounced dead at 2am.

A spokesman said the fire involved renovation materials, such as paint, at the service lift lobby area. An SCDF personnel was taken away in an ambulance conscious on Monday night.

"A fire was reported here at 10pm, and immediately we evacuated all residents and called the SCDF," said Mr Thomas Tan, director of residential and marketing for Raffles Quay Asset Management, which manages the development.

Mr Tan told reporters at 2am on Tuesday that the 221-unit development was largely unoccupied, with residents living in only 20 of the units. The 65th floor apartment that caught fire was unsold and unoccupied, he added.

Dr Summer Stears, 38, who lives on the 11th floor, said that she and her husband were going to bed at about 9.45pm when the fire alarm began to go off intermittently. They took the stairs down at about 10pm, as there was no power to the lifts at that point.

"We saw a man brought down at about 12.45am, he was supported by three others on their shoulders," said Dr Stears. "They were walking him around a little bit, keeping him walking." Residents were allowed to return to their apartments at 2.30am.

The 65th floor apartment that caught fire was unsold and unoccupied, Mr Tan told reporters.