Fire the Size of a Football Field at Tuas Caused MRT Disruption for 2 Hours on Wednesday Morning (5 July)

A blaze the size of a football field erupted at an industrial building in Tuas, Singapore, and was successfully contained by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in the early hours of Wednesday (5 July 2023).

The SCDF was notified about the fire at 11 Tuas Link 1 at approximately 2.05am, leading to the deployment of 30 emergency vehicles and nearly 100 firefighters from two fire stations and a special rescue unit to limit the fire’s expansion.

Occupant of the Building and Firefighting Measures

The building is home to Megachem, a company that specializes in the wholesale and distribution of specialty chemicals.

The SCDF confirmed that chemicals were stored on the premises, but did not disclose any details regarding the cause of the fire.

In an effort to combat the blaze, five water and foam jets, along with two unmanned firefighting machines, were utilized in what the SCDF described as an extended operation. The fire was eventually brought under control around 6.15am, followed by damping down operations carried out by firefighters to prevent any potential reignition of the fire.

During the firefighting operation, one firefighter experienced dizziness and was transported to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. He was later discharged in a stable condition. The SCDF advised the public to steer clear of the area for safety reasons.

Disruption to Train Services

The fire incident also caused a disruption to train services between the Tuas Link and Tuas West Road stations on the East-West MRT line.

The disruption lasted for nearly two hours on Wednesday morning, with services resuming around 7.20am. During that period, free shuttle buses were available.