A fire broke out in a five-room flat at Block 512, Serangoon North Avenue 4, on Sunday evening. The Straits Times understands that no one was injured although the flat was badly burnt.

Engineer Yip Wai Loon, 36, who lives next door to the affected unit on the seventh floor, said the flat belonged to an Indian family. Other residents said they heard small explosions at about 5pm and headed to the void deck for safety.

Ms Wu Yan, 31, a housewife who lives on the ninth floor, said the smoke was

acrid and very black". "The blocks were covered in smoke so much so that we couldn't see across to the next one. The smell was also very strong so we ran for safety," she said.

As of 7pm, Singapore Civil Defence Force personnel were still in the flat investigating. The facade of three flats directly above the burnt seventh floor unit was also charred.