4 taken to hospital, over 50 evacuated after fire in Buangkok condo unit
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Four people were assessed for smoke inhalation and were taken to Singapore General Hospital.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE – Four people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation following a suspected electrical fire at a condominium unit near Punggol Park on April 4.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on the same day that it was alerted to the fire at 3 Rivervale Link at about 2.10pm. Checks online show The Rivervale condominium development at this address.
When SCDF arrived, black smoke was coming from a unit on the third floor.
The fire in a bedroom of the unit was extinguished by firefighters with a water jet.
Four people had evacuated the unit before SCDF arrived and about 50 people evacuated from the affected block, SCDF said.
Four people were assessed for smoke inhalation and were taken to Singapore General Hospital. Three of them were from the affected unit, while one was from a neighbouring unit.
Preliminary findings show that the fire likely had an electrical origin in the affected bedroom.
In its post, SCDF reminded people to prevent such fires by:
Not overloading electrical outlets with electrical appliances;
Switching off appliances when they are not in use;
Checking the condition of electrical wires regularly and replacing or repairing frayed wires or cracked cords immediately;
Not running wires under carpets or mats, and keeping wires away from hot surfaces;
Using only appliances and electrical plugs bearing the Safety Mark. The categories of controlled appliances can be found at www.consumerproductsafety.gov.sg; and
Not leaving batteries or devices to charge unattended for extended periods, or leaving them to charge overnight.
