News
4 fires in 3 days at Punggol HDB block, suspected arsonist arrested
A handcuffed man was seen being escorted by police at the scene of the fire.
November 12, 2024, 07:21 PM
Four fires have broken out within a few days of each other in the same Punggol HDB block, with the latest fire taking place in the early hours of Nov. 6.
Garbage fires
Shin Min Daily News reported that they received word of four fires having broken out at Block 121A Edgedale Plains in Punggol, all within three days.
Shin Min quoted a resident, who wished to be anonymous, saying that he had smelt the smell of burning from outside his 16th-story flat at around 2:30 am on Nov. 6.
Opening his door, he was shocked to find that items placed near the rubbish chute were on fire.
He, his neighbour, and another resident from the 15th floor used a water hose to quickly extinguish the fire.
The resident noted that the fire alarm had not been triggered, and said that it was only due to good fortune that they were able to extinguish the fire in time.
He commented that there could have been much more dire consequences.
Arson suspected
This was not the only fire that had taken place in the block, with four fires being reported from the period starting from Nov. 3 until Nov. 6, all taking place on the 15th and 16th floor of the same block.
Because of the time frame and proximity of the fires, residents suspected arson.
Shin Min reported that residents had seen police bringing a handcuffed man to the scene.
The residents believed that the man had been arrested in connection to the fires.
They also reported that a police officer had told the residents that a chapter in the case had closed, and they did not need to worry.
Declined hospital
The SCDF, responding to query from Mothership, confirmed that they were alerted to a fire at 2:40am on Nov. 6, but that a member of the public had extinguished the fire with a hose reel before they had arrived on the scene.
The fire involved items along the corridor of the 16th floor of Block 121A Edgedale Plains.
One person on the scene was assessed by a paramedic, but declined to be sent to hospital.
Top image via Shin Min & Google Maps
