Two arrested after fireworks set off in Bukit Batok; police probing similar incident in Yishun

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SINGAPORE - Two men were arrested on Deepavali after fireworks were set off in Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 in the evening, while another similar incident in Yishun is being investigated by the authorities.

The police said that they were alerted to fireworks being discharged at Block 194B at 7.49pm on Tuesday (Nov 6).

Eyewitnesses told Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao that the fireworks shot up to at least 10 storeys high, and that a group of residents rushed down after hearing the explosions to try and find the culprits.

Two men aged 18 and 54 were subsequently arrested over discharging of dangerous fireworks.

According to Wanbao, the pair are believed to be father and son. No injuries were reported.

A video of the incident was uploaded to citizen journalism website Stomp.

Mr Jackson Teo, 22, who lives in a neighbouring block, said that he was in his room when he heard a loud noise.

When he looked out of the window, he saw fireworks shooting up to the 13th storey of Block 194B.

Mr Teo said several of his neighbours were also looking out of their windows to see what had happened.

A resident of the area discovered a box of what looked like discharged fireworks after the incident. PHOTO: STOMP

According to him, the fireworks lasted for less than a minute. Afterwards, he went downstairs to try and find the source of the fireworks and discovered a box of what looked like used fireworks on the first floor.

Mr Teo, who has been living in the area for 21 years, said this was the first time such an incident has happened in his neighbourhood.

"If they wanted to set off fireworks they should have found an open space - but this was right next to the block," he said.

He also questioned how the culprits managed to obtain the fireworks.

Several hours later, residents in Yishun also heard loud explosions as fireworks were discharged in the area at around 3am on Wednesday morning. The police confirmed that a report was filed on this incident.

Investigations are ongoing for both cases.

This comes after two men were arrested on Tuesday after setting off fireworks in Little India late on Monday night.

The pair, both Singaporeans, were charged on Wednesday morning, and are expected to return to court on Nov 14.

It is illegal to set off fireworks in Singapore without obtaining permission from the relevant authorities.

Anyone convicted of discharging dangerous fireworks can be fined between $2,000 and $10,000, and jailed for up to two years, or both.

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