Cleaning robot catches fire at SGH ward, prompting patients to evacuate

A fire broke out in a ward at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on Monday (June 8) evening, causing patients to evacuate.

In a Facebook post made later that day, SGH said that a cleaning robot had been charging in Ward 76, the hospital's orthopaedic ward, at around 7pm when it caught on fire.

This caused the sprinkler and SGH's response team to be activated.

However, by the time the hospital's fire warden arrived at the scene, the fire had already been extinguished.

As a precaution, patients in the affected ward were moved to other ward areas in view of the smoke. They returned to the ward at 9pm, when the situation was confirmed to be under control, said SGH.

"Patient care remains uninterrupted, with contingency plans in place to accommodate any temporary disruptions. We apologise for any inconvenience caused," added the hospital.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stated that the fire, which occurred on the sixth floor of the hospital, had been extinguished by the sprinkler system and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com