Firefighters climbed into the unit through a window using a ladder, and used the staircase to enter the flat via the back entrance. - ST
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A 70-year-old man was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital following a fire in a Geylang flat on Thursday (July 27) afternoon.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Facebook they were alerted to the fire on the second storey of Block 34 Cassia Crescent at about 12.45pm.
Firefighters climbed into the smoke-logged unit through a window using a ladder, and used the staircase to enter the flat via the back entrance.
The SCDF post said: “While the firefighting was ongoing, another team of firefighters conducting (a) search of the premises found a person lying on the floor in a bedroom.”
SCDF said the person was carried out of the flat and down to the first storey, where a team of firefighters conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the person.
“An ambulance crew took over the resuscitation efforts and continued with the CPR while enroute to Tan Tock Seng Hospital,” it added.
Firefighters used a water jet to extinguish the blaze in the kitchen.
About 30 people from neighbouring units were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precaution, said the post.
When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at around 2pm, the owner of the affected unit, who wanted to be known only as Ong, said his father was home alone when the fire happened.
Ong, a private-hire driver, was in Little India having lunch with friends when his neighbours called at around 12.50pm to tell him his flat was on fire. He rushed home immediately.
Ong said he was stopped from going into his unit, and could only sit outside and watch. He declined further comment.
His next-door neighbour, Jane Zhen, 37, said she noticed thick smoke billowing out of her neighbour’s home at 12.45pm, and heard flames crackling.
She said: “When I saw the smoke, I immediately rushed down to the carpark and called the police.”
She said firefighters struggled to enter the affected unit initially as there was furniture obstructing the front door.
A retiree who lives on the 13th storey, who only wanted to be known as just Naidu, 65, said there were many things blocking the door inside the flat.
Said Naidu: “From across the road, you can look into their living room and see a lot of things like plastic bags and cardboard boxes inside.”
Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan arrived at the scene at around 3.30pm.
He said: “Every time there’s a fire, it’s unfortunate. We want to see how we can help the families.”
He said the Mountbatten single member constituency will work with the Housing Board to provide temporary housing to affected residents if they do not have another place to stay.
Lim added that Mountbatten SMC has a welfare fund to provide assistance and relief to residents affected by the fire, while grassroots organisations will also provide basic amenities.
