A fire believed to be caused by the battery pack of a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) broke out in a Housing Board flat at 104D Canberra Street on June 9, 2018.

Burn injuries and smoke inhalation

Two children were sent to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and three adults were sent to Singapore General Hospital and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The former sustained burn injuries while the latter suffered smoke inhalation.

Lifts not functioning

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they had to lug firefighting and rescue equipment up the stairs to reach the raging fire as the lifts were not functioning.

The unit was on the 14th floor.

According to Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) Facebook post, the affected living room was "engulfed in flames".

The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes with a water jet and compressed air foam backpacks, and two boys who were trapped in one of the bedrooms were rescued by the SCDF.

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The SCDF would like to remind everyone on the prevention of PMD fires with the following safety tips:

• Avoid overcharging its battery, especially leaving it to charge overnight.
• When charging batteries, place them on hard, flat surfaces to allow optimal dissipation of heat.
• Do not place the charging battery near combustible materials.

Original post:

Cover image via SCDF Facebook.