3 taken to hospital after fire breaks out at Hougang HDB void deck

SINGAPORE – Three people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out at the void deck of a Hougang HDB block on the eve of Chinese New Year.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the blaze at Block 418 Hougang Avenue 8 at about 12.45pm on Feb 16.

The fire involved construction materials at the void deck, it added.

Police officers and members of the public put out the flames using fire extinguishers before SCDF arrived.

The three people were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to the Singapore General Hospital, SCDF said.

A video posted on Xiaohongshu on Feb 16 shows dark smoke billowing from the void deck and rising several storeys high. Groups of residents can also be seen gathered nearby.

User Charmaine said in the caption that she was resting on her sofa when she was alerted to the fire by her domestic helper.

After closing the windows and grabbing their bags, they ran out of the house with the pet dog.

In a photo of the aftermath, workers can be seen cleaning the walls and floors, which were blackened with soot.

Mr Gerald Giam, an MP for Aljunied GRC, said on Facebook on the night of Feb 16 that HDB engineers and officers had visited the site to conduct structural assessment.

He added that common area lighting and piping have been restored, and that cleaning and repainting would continue the next day.

Mr Giam also said that during his visit to affected residents on the evening of Feb 16, he had learnt about someone who had tried to put out the blaze before firefighters arrived.

“If you are that hero, I sincerely thank you,” said Mr Giam.

He also thanked officials and contractors for their help.

SCDF said the cause of the fire is under investigation.