KPE sprinkler system set off after car catches fire in tunnel; no injuries reported
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The fire was contained by the tunnel’s water mist system and later extinguished by SCDF with a water jet.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM ST READER VIDEO
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SINGAPORE – A car caught fire in the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) tunnel on the evening of July 23, setting off the overhead sprinkler system and causing a traffic gridlock that lasted over an hour.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire, which happened on the KPE towards Tampines Expressway after Sims Avenue exit, at 5pm.
The fire, which involved the engine compartment of the car, was contained by the tunnel’s water mist system and later extinguished by SCDF with a water jet. There were no reported injuries.
A video on Telegram group SG Rd Updates shows the mist system activated along a section of the KPE, while another, also shared on the social messaging platform, shows flames at the front of a white car.
Eyewitness Luqman Nurhakim, 32, told The Straits Times that he was driving through the KPE tunnel when he noticed water trickling down onto his car windscreen.
As the training associate in the tech industry drove further into the tunnel, he began to see puddles of water on the road.
“I thought a water pipe had burst at first but it was only after an Emas recovery truck and two fire engines went past me that I realised it might have been a fire instead,” he said, adding that he was stuck for almost an hour in the tunnel.
Mr Luqman, who was alone in his car, was travelling from Marina Bay to Sembawang to fetch his two-year-old daughter from a play group.
“Throughout the whole journey, I was just hoping that I wouldn’t be late in fetching her,” he added.
Vehicle fires have occured in the KPE tunnel before.
In 2019, a fire broke out in the KPE tunnel towards the TPE
In 2017, a Transcab taxi caught fire in the KPE tunnel
According to One Motoring website, the KPE tunnel is equipped with an overhead water sprinkler system and a tunnel ventilation system that will fight fires and remove smoke.
Fire service cabinets can be found every 50m within the tunnel, next to the left-most lane. Emergency SOS phones can also be found every 100m in alternate fire service cabinets.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
