10 people, including 3 children, injured after fire engulfs HDB flat in Whampoa

SINGAPORE: Ten people suffered injuries and smoke inhalation after a fire broke out on Sunday (Feb 28) at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Whampoa.

The 10, which included three children, were taken to hospitals, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post.

SCDF said it was alerted at about 9am to the fire at Block 22 Jalan Tenteram.

The "raging" fire had engulfed a home on the second floor, SCDF said. Six people managed to leave the flat before firefighters arrived. 

Two of them were found injured on the ground floor and were attended to by a paramedic and the SCDF's Emergency Medical Services.

At the same time, firefighters from Central Fire Station put out the fire using a water jet and two compressed air foam backpacks.

About 100 people from the affected block were evacuated by SCDF and the police. Several homes next to and above the affected unit had heat and smoke damage, SCDF said.

"Preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire indicates that it was of electrical origin from the living room," it added.