Explosion rips out wall of Audi service centre in Ubi

SINGAPORE - About 100 people were evacuated and one person was injured when an explosion blew open a section of the building at Audi's service centre in Ubi on Tuesday (March 7) morning.

The injured person was hurt in a fall and was taken to Raffles Hospital, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

The explosion happened at about 8.55am in the building, located at 55 Ubi Road 1, SCDF added.

When The Straits Times arrived, officers from the SCDF were seen examining the rubble-strewn site.

In a Facebook post, SCDF said there was no fire when officers arrived at the scene but a section on the side of the building had collapsed.

People working in the area said they heard a loud explosion in the morning and experienced aftershocks in its wake.

A facilities manager at Crocodile House located in the building next to the service centre said he heard a big explosion when he was in his seventh-storey office.

The 57-year-old manager, who wanted to be known only as Mr Kumar, said: “The explosion shook the whole building and the stacked boxes in the office fell over.

“I went outside and saw the wall collapsed with glass shards scattered all around. There was smoke coming from one of the tanks. Even my friend in the neighbouring Yi Guang building said he felt the building shake.”

Audi, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said the Ubi 55 commercial building will be closed temporarily while investigations continue. It added that Audi Singapore is working with the authorities to identify the cause of the explosion.

The Audi Service Centre at 55 Ubi Road 1 will also remain closed until further notice, it said.

The Straits Times has contacted the Building and Construction Authority for more information.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.