SINGAPORE - Eight people were taken to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for smoke inhalation and burn injuries on Tuesday (July 20), after a tugboat that was berthed in West Coast caught fire.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the fire at 70 West Coast Ferry Road at about 4.40pm.

The eight people on the berthed tugboat had been evacuated before firefighters from Clementi Fire Station and West Coast Marine Fire Station arrived at the scene, said the SCDF in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The firefighters located the seat of the fire in the engine room.

A water jet was quickly set up to put out the blaze, said the SCDF.

"A key consideration was not to apply too much water that could affect the stability of the tugboat."

The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes.

SGH said on Wednesday that six of the victims have been discharged. Two are still in hospital.