SINGAPORE - A total of $608,032 raised for the eight victims of the Tuas fire in an online drive has been shared among them as at Saturday night (May 1).

The fund-raising initiative by non-profit organisation ItsRainingRainCoats (IRR) had surpassed its target of $300,000 on March 3.

In an update on the campaign's page on website Give.Asia, IRR said on Saturday that the proceeds have been divided equally and remitted to the accounts of the eight workers.

The explosion at 32E Tuas Avenue 11 on Feb 24 killed three workers and sent five others fighting for their lives in the intensive care unit.

Of the five, one remains in a high dependency ward, while two others are continuing treatment in hospital, said IRR.

The remaining two were discharged this week and sent to a two-bedded room in a dormitory, where they will continue to receive outpatient treatment.

"All are making steady strides in their recovery, though we were told they won't be physically fit for work for a considerable period," said IRR.

The blast occurred on the premises of Stars Engrg, a contractor dealing with fire protection systems.

It forced the evacuation of 65 others in the vicinity of the blaze.

The Ministry of Manpower's preliminary investigations found that the explosion was caused by the accumulation of potato starch in a confined environment.

Contact with a source of ignition can cause a combustible dust explosion.