A 66-year-old man was a victim of a fire that broke out in a Dakota HDB corridor on the morning of Monday (Jun. 10).

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed with Mothership that the fire took place at about 9am at Block 52 Cassia Crescent.

It involved items along the fourth-floor common corridor and was extinguished with a hosereel.

Some 50 people were also evacuated by the Police and SCDF.

Victim believed to have started fire: Residents

A resident, surnamed Zheng (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) she witnessed an elderly man being stretchered into an ambulance at about 9am.

He was conscious but short of breath, she said.

She told Shin Min she heard the fire was started by the man, who had been burning plastic items in the corridor on the fourth floor.

A Shin Min reporter observed that the fourth-floor corridor had its walls and ceiling blackened from the fire, and ash coated the ground.

The fire appeared to have started from the end of the corridor, where several burnt and badly damaged bicycles were seen, Shin Min reported.

Other residents shared that the old man had lived alone for many years.

He was withdrawn and rarely talked to his neighbours, they added.

Cause of the fire under investigation

Police told Mothership that a 66-year-old man was conveyed conscious to the hospital.

SCDF conveyed him to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for smoke inhalation.

SCDF said that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Top image from Lianhe Zaobao