‘Everything was gone in minutes’: Factory worker recalls seeing spark moments before Eunos fire
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- A fire broke out at Eunos Industrial Estate on Nov 1, affecting four workshop units; the SCDF extinguished it after 5½ hours.
- Jhantu Ghosh, a worker at a door supplier, spotted the initial spark and alerted colleagues, but the fire spread rapidly.
- No injuries were reported, but BCA will order the owner to shut the badly damaged building for checks and rectifications.
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SINGAPORE – While painting doors at a factory in the Eunos Industrial Estate on the evening of Nov 1, Mr Jhantu Ghosh noticed a spark in an exhaust fan near the ceiling of the industrial unit he was in.
Seeing a fire developing quickly thereafter, the Bangladeshi worker with door supplier Best Doors rushed to tell his colleagues to evacuate.
“We got out of the factory, and in less than 10 minutes, we saw it burn down in front of our eyes,” Mr Jhantu, 45, told The Straits Times on Nov 2, a day after the massive fire engulfed a single-storey building in the industrial estate.
The fire, which broke out at about 5.30pm, was extinguished
When ST visited the scene on the morning of Nov 2, damping-down operations – applying water to burnt surfaces to prevent potential rekindling of the fire – were still continuing, more than 12 hours after the blaze was put out.
Damping-down operations will continue through the night of Nov 2, ST understands.
Mr Jhantu was working at one of three workshop units affected by the fire, which involved building materials and office equipment. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said a fourth unit was partially affected at the roof area.
Large sections of the roads leading to 1079 Eunos Avenue 7, where the fire took place, were still cordoned off on Nov 2.
ST approached Mr Jhantu, who has been working at Best Doors for 12 years, as he stood by the police cordon with his bicycle, looking at what remained of the burnt building on Nov 2.
“After I saw the spark, I ran to the office within the factory to tell everyone. I wanted to extinguish it, but I couldn’t because it was too high up,” he said.
“When we got out, we saw that the fire had spread everywhere within a few minutes. Some of us used fire extinguishers to fight the fire, but we just couldn’t. Everything was gone in minutes.”
An emotional Mr Jhantu said: “I’ve been working at Best Doors for 12 years. I feel so sad. I almost cried yesterday. I couldn’t do anything.”
Sixteen emergency vehicles and about 60 firefighters were deployed to put out the blaze on Nov 1. On Nov 2, a burnt smell lingered as curious passers-by stopped to check out the aftermath of the fire.
At least a dozen firefighters and three fire trucks were spotted. Police officers were also directing pedestrians and motorists to take other routes, given the road closures.
Workers from nearby industrial units told ST they did not know how badly the fire had damaged the area until they came to work on the morning of Nov 2.
One worker, who declined to be identified, said he and his co-workers had left after work at 5pm on Nov 1 and had no idea a fire had broken out until they saw news reports.
“The fire must have been serious enough for the firefighters to still be here today,” he said.
A bystander, Mr Patrick Tan, said he was working at a high-rise warehouse in the nearby Ubi industrial area on Nov 1 when he saw black smoke rising in the distance.
SCDF was alerted to the fire at about 5.30pm on Nov 1.
PHOTO: SCDF/FACEBOOK
“I was around 1km away and yet I could see how big the fire was from there. I saw photos from the news and decided to come down today to take a look. It’s a pity this has happened,” said the 65-year-old hardware worker.
No injuries were reported, but SCDF said a firefighter was assessed for suspected smoke inhalation and taken to the Singapore General Hospital. Another firefighter who felt unwell was taken to Changi General Hospital.
Both have since been discharged and given medical leave.
On Nov 2, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said it would order the building owner to close the building
The owner would also need to appoint a professional engineer to advise on the necessary precautions to remove any immediate danger, investigate the affected structure and recommend permanent rectifications.
Industrial landlord JTC Corporation said on Nov 2 the fire affected four tenants and it is offering them support, such as giving them access to other premises to minimise disruptions to their operations. It added that it is also working with agencies such as the SCDF and BCA to investigate the incident and assess the site’s structural condition to ensure it remains safe and secure.
JTC advised businesses in the area to review and strengthen their fire safety measures, including carrying out regular fire-risk assessments, ensuring clear evacuation plans and maintaining systems to detect and suppress fires.
