8 taken to hospital after Joo Seng HDB fire, man, 44, arrested for mischief

Eight people were conveyed to the hospital after a fire broke out at a Joo Seng Housing Development Board (HDB) block on May 4.

In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at Block 14, Joo Seng Road, on May 4 at about 9:40pm.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said that a 44-year-old man was arrested at the scene for mischief by fire.

Fire engulfed whole unit

In the Facebook post, the SCDF said that upon arrival, fire was seen raging inside a unit on the 18th floor.

SCDF said, "The fire, which engulfed the whole unit, was extinguished by firefighters with two water jets".

Before SCDF’s arrival, three persons had evacuated from the affected unit.

Eight persons were assessed for smoke inhalation and conveyed to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

SCDF said that during the firefighting operation, two firefighters felt unwell and were conveyed to SGH as a precaution.

SCDF added that damping down operations are ongoing, and preliminary findings indicate that the fire could have been intentionally started.

Police investigations are ongoing.