Two rescued from kitchen ledge after e-bike catches fire
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Charlotte Chong
Two people trapped on a seventh-storey kitchen ledge in Bedok North, following a fire in the unit, were rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) yesterday.
SCDF said in a Facebook post yesterday that it was alerted to the fire at about 10.25am at Block 557 Bedok North Street 3.
The two people were seen holding on to metal bars used for hanging clothes and were brought to safety through the kitchen window by SCDF personnel. Both were taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation.
About 45 residents from the affected block were evacuated as a precaution.
The fire involved the contents of a bedroom and the corridor outside the unit.
SCDF said preliminary investigations into the cause of the fire indicate it was of electrical origin from a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) that was being charged at the time.
According to SCDF statistics released in February, there were 68 fires involving PABs and personal mobility devices (PMDs) last year.
More than two-thirds of the fires occurred on residential premises.
There were 115 such fires in 2019. Though the number has fallen, such fires remain a cause for concern.
SCDF said most of the PAB and PMD fires it responded to were caused by the use of non-compliant devices such as non-UL2272 certified PMDs, modified devices or incompatible power adaptors.
Modifications included the replacement of batteries with ones not from original equipment manufacturers, the addition of extra batteries, and changes to electrical circuitry.
To prevent such fires, SCDF urges the public to not modify or attempt to repair the devices on their own. It also advises users to not charge PABs, PMDs or their batteries near combustible materials or along an escape path.
Charging devices or batteries should also not be left unattended for an extended period of time or overnight.
Users are also encouraged to regularly examine batteries for any damage or deformities such as bloating, corrosion or powdery residue.
SCDF said devices and batteries which are faulty or have not been used for an extended period of time should be disposed of properly at any of the e-waste recyclers listed by the Land Transport Authority.
