SINGAPORE – Seven people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a Kitchener Road flat on Wednesday morning.

A preliminary investigation showed that the fire most likely originated from a power-assisted bicycle charging in the flat’s living room, a spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told The Straits Times.

SCDF was alerted to the fire in a unit on the 13th storey of Block 2 Kitchener Road at around 11am. By the time its officers arrived, 80 people had already evacuated from the block. The officers helped another seven residents leave the affected unit and neighbouring flats.

Six people were taken to Singapore General Hospital, while another was taken to Raffles Hospital, said the spokesman.

When ST arrived at the scene of the fire at around 11am, affected residents were gathered at the foot of Block 2 as firefighters fought the blaze. The fire was extinguished with a water jet.

Housewife Noor Jahan was at home with her daughter and four-year-old grandson when their neighbour’s unit caught fire.

“My neighbour, who was crying, told me there was a fire, so I quickly picked up my grandson, locked my gate and door, and went downstairs with my daughter,” said the 58-year-old. “I was so scared when I saw the fire.”

She added: “It was very hard to breathe.”

Madam Habi Aman, whose 84-year-old mother lives on the 12th storey of the affected block, was alighting from a bus when she saw residents looking up at the thick, black smoke billowing from a unit on the 13th storey.

“I thought it was my mother’s flat, so I rushed up 12 floors by the stairs, and was completely breathless,” said the 61-year-old customer service executive.

“I called my mother on the way up, and she managed to answer. She packed her things and waited outside her flat.

“A few minutes later, when I reached her unit, we got instructions from the police to evacuate.”

She said the police helped her mother down the stairs while she carried her mother’s wheelchair.

Mr Farook Samsudin, 64, said he was alerted to the fire after hearing three or four loud booms.

“When I opened the door, I saw people running. The smell was very strong,” said the retiree, who lives on the seventh storey.

“I heard people and children shouting, so I was very scared and went downstairs too.”

According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, the owners of the unit that caught fire – Ms Azula, a housewife, and her husband – heard noises coming from the battery of the power-assisted bicycle before it caught fire.

Ms Azula, 26, said they were charging the battery on behalf of a friend, who is a delivery rider in the area.

While she believed all her possessions in the flat had been destroyed, she was just thankful her children were safe in school when the fire broke out.

“We will arrange for the children to stay with our relatives temporarily, and the authorities said they will arrange temporary accommodation for us,” said Ms Azula.

Ms Denise Phua, an MP for Jalan Besar GRC, was on-site at around noon to check on the residents. She distributed bottles of water and snacks to them.

Standing on a plastic chair and speaking into a microphone, Ms Phua told residents at about 12.30pm that the fire was under control. She added that the Jalan Besar Community Club auditorium would be open to residents who needed a place to rest. Lunch was provided.

SCDF reminded users of power-assisted bicycles and personal mobility devices not to charge batteries for an extended period of time or overnight. Users were also reminded not to buy or use non-original batteries.