4 taken to hospital after fire likely caused by PMA in Tampines HDB flat
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The fire, involving contents of a living room, was extinguished with one water jet.
PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
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SINGAPORE – Four people were taken to hospital late on Jan 9 after a fire, likely caused by a personal mobility aid (PMA), broke out in a Tampines HDB flat.
About 60 people from the affected block were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Jan 9 that it was alerted to the fire at Block 898 Tampines Street 81 at about 11.30pm that day.
The fire, involving the contents of a living room in a 12th-floor unit, was extinguished with one water jet.
Four people were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the fire had likely originated from a personal mobility aid,” SCDF said.
Firefighters had been fighting a blaze that broke out in another Tampines residential unit just two hours earlier.
About 100 people were evacuated from Block 29 Tampines Street 86
PMAs, such as motorised wheelchairs and three- or four-wheeled mobility scooters, are considered active mobility devices and are designed for those who are unable to walk or have walking difficulties.
Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng said in November 2025 that LTA is considering tougher enforcement action
Common illegal modifications on non-compliant devices include changing electrical parts such as the battery and electric motor to third-party or non-original versions, which voids the safety certification and poses a significant fire risk.
From January to October 2025, there were 44 fires involving mobility devices.
In 2024, 67 blazes involved such devices, up from 55 in 2023 and 42 in 2022.
There were 63 such fires in 2021 and 68 in 2020.
