Toa Payoh family's pet cat dies in fire that allegedly started from charging phone

A fire that broke out in Toa Payoh on Jul. 14 was apparently the result of a charging phone bursting into flames.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, a 70-year-old woman was charging her phone in her room when it suddenly burst into flames.

The woman then fled the house with her two grandchildren, a 15-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy.

The boy, who has asthma, was later conveyed to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.

Sparks flew from the phone

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) shared on Facebook that they responded to a fire at Block 194 Kim Keat Avenue on Jul. 14 at around 11:50 am.

When they arrived, one of the bedrooms in a 12th-floor unit was on fire.

SCDF firefighters entered the smoke-filled unit and extinguished the fire with a water jet. The unit and the corridor outside sustained heat and smoke damage.

Three persons were evacuated from the affected unit before SCDF arrived, and as a precaution, about 60 people from the block were evacuated by the Police.

SCDF assessed two people from the affected unit for smoke inhalation, and one was conveyed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

The other person declined to be sent to the hospital.

Based on the SCDF's preliminary findings, the cause of the fire was likely of electrical origin in the affected bedroom.

Sudden fire

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, a 39-year-old woman named Liu (transliteration) who said she was the sister of the unit's owner, said her mother was in the unit when the fire broke out.

According to Liu's mother, sparks and smoke suddenly came out from the phone as it was charging.

Liu's mother panicked and got her two grandchildren out of the house.

She told the Chinese media that the phone that caught fire was bought less than six months ago, and the socket was not connected to other electronics, leaving her puzzled by the sudden fire.

"My mother was very sure that the sparks came from the phone and not from the socket," she added.

A neighbour shared with Lianhe Zaobao that she had noticed a strange smell at home, and when she went out to check, she saw the girl calling for help and saying the house was on fire.

She tried to get her husband to go closer and help, but the smoke was getting too thick.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that Liu's mother's room was the most damaged.

The living room and other bedrooms also suffered extensive damage.

A pet cat also reportedly died in the fire, said the Chinese media.

Top photo via SCDF/Facebook