Vehicle on fire on CTE, SCDF on the scene

A vehicle caught fire in the Central Expressway tunnel, before the Outram Road exit, on Feb 9, 2018. PHOTO: ST READER
Remote video URL
VIDEO: NG EK SENG

SINGAPORE - A vehicle caught fire on the Central Expressway (CTE) on Friday evening (Feb 9).

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a tweet on its traffic news channel at 5.21pm that there had been an accident in the CTE tunnel, towards the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), before the Outram Road exit.

It tweeted about the accident again about 20 minutes later, advising motorists to avoid lanes 2 and 3.

A video sent in by Straits Times reader Ng Ek Seng shows a vehicle on fire, with smoke emanating from it.

Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) can be spotted at the site, and a few men can be seen directing traffic.

When ST arrived on the scene at about 6.30pm, the fire had been put out.

A resident living at Block 10, Jalan Kukoh, which overlooks the tunnel, told ST that they heard "some explosions at around 5.10pm" and saw smoke filling the area.

Remains of the charred vehicle. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

The resident added that SCDF was very fast in putting out the blaze.

An SCDF spokesman told ST that its officers used two compressed air foam backpacks and two water jets to put out fire within 10 minutes of their arrival.

No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The accident caused congestion on the CTE up to the Orchard Road exit, LTA said in a tweet.

Additional reporting by Ariffin Jamar

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.