SINGAPORE — One person was taken to hospital and about 48 residents were evacuated after a fire broke out in an HDB flat at 56 Telok Blangah Heights on the evening of May 24, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at about 7pm and, when firefighters arrived, they saw black smoke coming from a ninth-floor unit. Firefighters forced entry into the flat and extinguished the blaze, which involved a mattress in the living room, using a water jet.
SCDF said one person was assessed for burn injuries and taken to Singapore General Hospital. As a precaution, about 48 residents from the block were evacuated during the incident. No disruption to water or electricity supplies in the affected block was reported.
In a Facebook post late on May 24, Ms Rachel Ong, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said she had visited residents affected by the fire and checked in with them. She said she was relieved that the families were safe and that temporary housing and support had been arranged for the resident who was sent to hospital.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation by SCDF. The incident adds to ongoing public concern about fire safety in high-rise housing, where even a small blaze can trigger large-scale evacuation measures to protect residents in nearby units. Firefighters’ quick response helped contain the fire before it spread beyond the affected flat, limiting damage and reducing the risk to the wider block.
