3 People Fainted & Rescued from HDB Flat Due to PMD Fire in Bedok


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If there’s a reason to not own a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) unless you need one because you have difficulty getting around by yourself, I think the number of PMD-related fires in Singapore over the past few years is probably a pretty good reason.

And another one happened just yesterday.

Yesterday (9 March), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had to rescue three people who had fainted from a fire in the living room from an HDB flat in Changi.

The cause of the fire? Charging a PMD.

According to SCDF’s Facebook post, firefighters reached the fire location, which was on the fourth floor of Blk 27 along New Upper Changi Road at around 1.15 pm yesterday.

By the time they had reached, a man had already evacuated the unit with a baby, and he told SCDF personnel that there were still three other people in the house.

As reported by The Straits Times, the baby is the man’s nephew.

While some of the firefighters rescued the other three people, who were unconscious, other firefighters put out the fire. One water jet was used in the process.

Out of the three individuals that SCDF firefighters managed to evacuate from the house, one of them was not breathing. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was immediately conducted on her by the SCDF Emergency Medical Services personnel at the scene before she was conveyed to Changi General Hospital.

Apart from that, another resident from a neighbouring unit also ended up with burn injuries on her shoulder due to the fact that she was trying to self-evacuate before SCDF reached the scene.

In total, there were four people who were sent to Changi General Hospital and Singapore General Hospital.

Approximately 50 residents in the vicinity were evacuated as a precautionary measure as well.

As mentioned by the SCDF, preliminary investigations suggested that the fire had broken out due to the PMD that was being charged in the living room.

“There were also two other Power Assisted Bicycles (PABs), one was found in the unit and another was placed outside the unit,” they added.

In their Facebook post, the SCDF also included an infographic that provided several safety tips.


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They also mentioned that “non-UL2272 PMDs and any form of modifications to PMDs pose a fire risk and threaten public safety”, and that those who own such bicycles are “strongly encouraged to dispose of their devices at the appropriate recyclers”.

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Featured Image: Facebook (Singapore Civil Defence Force)