Cleaning robot at SGH catches fire while charging, patients in ward evacuated

A Singapore General Hospital (SGH) cleaning robot caught fire on the evening of Jul. 8, 2024, causing patients in the affected ward to be temporarily evacuated.

None of the patients, visitors, or staff sustained injuries from the incident.

The fire alarm in Ward 76 was activated at about 7pm on Jul. 8, 2024, SGH said in a Facebook post published later that night.

The sprinkler was activated and the hospital's response team was activated, SGH said.

"Our fire warden went on site and the fire was already extinguished," the hospital added.

Preliminary findings traced the cause of the fire to a cleaning robot that caught fire during charging.

"As a precaution, patients in Ward 76 were temporarily moved to other ward areas in view of the smoke," said SGH, adding that the situation was under control and most of the patients had returned to the ward by 9pm.

"Patient care remains uninterrupted, with contingency plans in place to accommodate any temporary disruptions," SGH said.

The hospital said they apologised for any anxiety or inconvenience caused.

Top image via Singapore General Hospital website