Over 150 children evacuated after fire breaks out in Sembawang Shopping Centre
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SINGAPORE – More than 150 pre-school children were evacuated on the morning of March 23 after a fire broke out in Sembawang Shopping Centre.
No injuries were reported.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at 604 Sembawang Road, the mall’s address, at about 9.40am.
The fire involved a deep fryer in a second-floor unit and was extinguished by the sprinkler system before SCDF arrived, SCDF said.
It had occurred at Wingstop, a fast-food eatery that specialises in fried chicken wings.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, Wingstop said the incident was contained within the kitchen area before opening hours, and no customers were present at the time.
It added that all its staff were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
“We would like to commend the mall’s management team for their swift assistance. Their coordination, alongside the activation of the building’s fire suppression systems, ensured the situation was brought under control promptly, and the fire was extinguished before SCDF arrived,” said a Wingstop spokesperson.
The outlet will be closed temporarily while the kitchen is being restored.
A spokesperson for My First Skool pre-school, which is also located on the second floor, said: “When alerted to a fire incident in Sembawang Shopping Centre, our staff promptly activated emergency protocols and evacuated more than 150 children to a designated assembly point outside the mall.”
All children and educators present were safe and returned to their classrooms at around 11.30am after clearance was given, the spokesperson told The Straits Times, adding that “parents were informed of the situation in a timely manner”.
Wingstop said it is working with the authorities on their investigation into the cause of the fire.
