4 people, including 2 firefighters, taken to hospital after fire in Holland Close flat

SINGAPORE - Two people and two firefighters were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in an HDB flat in Holland Close on the evening of June 19.

Firefighters from Alexandra Fire Station responded to the fire at Block 5 at around 7.25pm, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a Facebook post.

One of the bedrooms in a 23rd-floor unit was on fire, which was extinguished with two water jets. As a result of the fire, the rest of the unit also suffered heat and smoke damage.

Two people who had evacuated from the unit were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

During the firefighting operation, two firefighters experienced heat exhaustion and were also taken to hospital - one to SGH, one to the National University Hospital - in a conscious state.

Holland Drive resident Winston Ho, 50, was on his way home at around 7.20pm when he saw fire engines arriving in Holland Close.

Smoke was billowing out of the affected unit, he said, adding that police officers started to cordon off the block, as broken glass was falling to the ground.

The police also evacuated the block’s residents to a nearby futsal court, where a roll call was conducted to account for the residents.

About 100 people were evacuated from the affected block, said the SCDF.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Defence Minister and Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Chan Chun Sing visited the scene to assist affected residents.

In a subsequent post on Facebook, Mr Chan said those who needed help or temporary lodgings could contact the Buona Vista Community Centre.