2 taken to hospital after PMD-linked fire sets Toa Payoh HDB flat ablaze
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One of those taken to the hospital was discovered inside a bedroom.
PHOTO: SCDF/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE - Two people were taken to hospital on May 14 after a fire broke out in a Toa Payoh flat, likely due to a personal mobility device (PMD) battery.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at Block 226 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh at about 10.50pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on May 15.
When the firefighters arrived, the living room of the 10th-floor unit was on fire, and they had to force their way into the smoke-filled unit to put out the fire with a water jet.
One person was found inside a bedroom and taken to Singapore General Hospital after being assessed by a paramedic for smoke inhalation and burn injuries.
The police and SCDF evacuated about 30 people from neighbouring units, among them a person from a unit on the 14th floor who had to be taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital due to breathlessness.
Early investigations indicated that the fire likely originated from a PMD battery in the living room, the SCDF said. It added: “To prevent such fires, SCDF would like to remind the public not to purchase or use non-original batteries for their active mobility devices, including PMDs and power-assisted bicycles, or PABs.
“Also, do not charge PMD/PAB batteries for an extended period of time or overnight.”
Fires involving active mobility devices remain a growing concern, and have been on the rise for two years in a row, in 2023 and 2024
An SCDF annual report published in February said there were 67 fires involving active mobility devices in 2024, up 21.8 per cent from 55 fires in 2023.
Most of these incidents occurred at home – there were 44 such blazes in 2024.
One key reason for the continued rise of fires linked to active mobility devices is that many of these machines had been modified, with some involving the use of additional batteries that were not part of the device’s original design, the SCDF has said.
In its May 15 Facebook post, the SCDF also advised users to refrain from charging their active mobility devices near materials that burn easily or along an escape path.
