7 people taken to hospitals after 'raging' fire breaks out in Ang Mo Kio flat: SCDF

SINGAPORE: Seven people were taken to hospitals after a "raging" fire broke out in a flat in Ang Mo Kio on Wednesday morning (Jun 16), said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

In a Facebook post, SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at Block 123, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 at about 9.40am on Wednesday. 

The fire was in a seventh-floor unit. 

"An occupant from the burning unit was seen at the seventh-floor staircase landing and was safely evacuated by SCDF firefighters," said the agency. 

It added that about 130 residents from the fifth to ninth floor of the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.

The block also houses the AWWA senior community home, which is located at levels two to four.

Residents and employees at the home had self-evacuated before firefighters arrived, said SCDF.

One resident of the senior home felt unwell during the evacuation and was taken to the nearest hospital for observation, said Mr Sairam Azad, deputy director of AWWA Health and Senior Care.

The resident is currently in stable condition, he added.

"Operations were not affected by the fire that took place in an unrelated unit," said Mr Sairam in response to CNA's queries, adding that the elderly residents were allowed to return to the home at about 11.45am.

The fire was extinguished with a water jet and two compressed air foam backpacks. 

"A total of seven residents were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and National University Hospital for smoke inhalation and giddiness," said SCDF.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, it added.