SINGAPORE – About 130 residents were evacuated from a Housing Board block in Hougang by the police after a fire broke out in a bedroom of a fourth-floor unit there on Sunday night.

Residents who were affected told Shin Min Daily News that they heard glass shattering and also detected a strong burning smell when the fire started at Block 603 Hougang Avenue 4.

The residents evacuated their units after realising that there was a fire, according to the Chinese-language daily.

The two occupants of the affected flat – a couple in their 70s – had also evacuated before Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers arrived, according to Shin Min.

The unit reportedly houses seven people, but only the elderly couple were present when the fire broke out.

The SCDF said in a Facebook post on Sunday night that it was alerted to the fire at about 8.55pm, and extinguished the fire with a water jet.

It added that the rest of the unit sustained heat and soot damage due to the fire in the bedroom, which preliminary investigations indicated to be of electrical origin.

While there were no casualties, an SCDF paramedic assessed two people from the affected unit and another two from a neighbouring unit for smoke inhalation. However, they refused to be taken to hospital, SCDF said.

The public should adopt good practices such as not overloading electrical outlets with electrical appliances and switching off appliances when they are not in use, SCDF said in the post. Using faulty appliances with frayed wires or cracked cords is also discouraged.

The public is encouraged to use appliances and electrical plugs bearing the Safety Mark.

The categories of appliances can be found at www.consumerproductsafety.gov.sg