8 people taken to hospital after fire at Ang Mo Kio shops, temporary housing provided for affected residents
PUBLISHED ONJuly 05, 2019 9:57 AMByChoo Yun Ting
SINGAPORE - A fire broke out in Ang Mo Kio on Friday afternoon (July 5), with smoke billowing above nearby Housing Board flats.
In a Facebook post at 4.42pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that the fire broke out at Block 720 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.
Mr Matthew Ng, 18, told The Straits Times that he saw smoke coming from the area at around 3.50pm.
The smoke could be seen from the student's home in Ang Mo Kio Central 3 and had dissipated slightly by 4.15pm, he said.
Ms Melanie Heng, 24, who lives on the 12th floor of Block 725 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, told ST that she did not hear any explosions or see any flames.
The fire looked to have come from a shophouse unit, the undergraduate added.
In an update at 4.59pm, SCDF said that the fire involved the contents of a shop on the ground floor of the block, and the fire was raging when officers arrived at the scene.
Four water jets were used to bring the fire under control. Residents from the block were evacuated by the police as a safety precaution, SCDF added.
A video taken from Block 700A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 around 4pm showed that the smoke had risen above the flats at Block 720.
In the earlier post, SCDF said that SGSecure mobile app users, M1, StarHub and Singtel mobile subscribers within the immediate vicinity of the fire would have received an advisory message urging members of the public to stay away from the area.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
