SINGAPORE - A man was trapped in his blazing flat as he could not reach his keys. Fortunately, some 10 neighbours came to his rescue.

The blaze broke out in the living room of a flat at Block 805, King George's Avenue, on Wednesday (Dec 14) at about 1.20pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said.

It was put out using compressed air foam and a water jet.

SCDF said emergency responders rescued a man in his 20s who suffered burn injuries. He was taken to Singapore General Hospital.

A video that was uploaded on Wednesday showed the neighbours throwing buckets of water into the flat before SCDF arrived.

A man who had burn marks on his face peered out of the locked door grille, calling for help.

"Table, the table, the key, the black colour one," he shouted in desperation, repeating "Key, help!" a few times.

"Please open my door," he pleaded.

A group of neighbours milled around the corridor, trying to reach the key through a bedroom window.

One was seen throwing water into the flat using a bucket. One neighbour also passed him a wet towel so that he could breathe easier in the thick smoke.

Their movements were impeded by bicycles and electric bicycles parked there.

It is understood that SCDF firefighters removed the window panes and climbed into the bedroom to retrieve the keys, which they used to unlock the grille.

The man, surnamed Lee, lives with his father in the ninth-floor unit, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

The elder Mr Lee was in Johor Baru when he got a call informing him that his home was on fire.

He told the Chinese evening daily that his son had burns on his forehead and back, but his condition is stable.

SCDF sent a fire engine, two Red Rhinos, two fire bikes, an ambulance and a support vehicle to the scene.