SINGAPORE - Firefighters took about two hours to put out a blaze that started at a heavy vehicle repair plant in Jurong late on Saturday night.

No one was injured in the fire, though the repair workshop was badly damaged. The fire affected a square area measuring 70m on each side.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at 2J Jalan Papan, off Jurong Port Road, just before 1am on Sunday morning.

A total of 80 personnel and 25 vehicles, including four fire engines, two red rhinos and one ambulance were sent to the scene, the spokesman said.

The SCDF spokesman added that the blaze was "raging" when firefighters arrived, and there was no one in the premise. A SCDF press release on Sunday morning said: "Firefighters used 6 water jets and 1 Unmanned Firefighting Machine in the firefighting operation and confined the fire to within the plant."

The Straits Times saw at least four trucks, an excavator, and a pile of tyres that were badly damaged at the scene. A strong smell of burnt rubber hung in the air.

The SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.

The area is home to a number of offices, workshops and two dormitories for foreign workers. The dorms - Avery Lodge and Terusan Lodge 1 - can house up to 13,000 workers in total.

While workers in both dormitories were not evacuated, those who were returning after a night out were kept out by police officers.

More than 100 foreign workers were standing and sitting on the road leading to their dorms.

One of them, Mr Raj Kumar, a 23-year-old maintenance worker who lives in Terusan Lodge, said: "I was here at about 11.45pm. I saw fire and smoke, and I heard three explosions. It was very loud."

He added that he had contacted his friends in the dorm to check that they were safe. "They're all okay," he said.

Quality control supervisor Battu Narendar, 29, who lives in Avery Lodge, added: "I just hope to go back in soon. I still have to work at 5am ."

They were eventually allowed back to their dorms at about 3am.