Paya Lebar flat fire: 6 tenants, who have less than 2 weeks left on lease, may have to pay for damage

With less than a month left to go on their lease, a group of tenants would likely have to bear the cost of damages after the flat they were renting went up in flames.

The fire broke out at Block 121 Paya Lebar Way on Thursday (June 20) at around 8.55pm.

When reporters from Shin Min Daily News went to the third-floor unit on Friday, a man was seen coming out of the flat with a suitcase.

The tenant, surnamed Lin, said he had rented the unit with five other people. All of them, including Lin, were not home at the time of the fire.

Lin, 33, said he had just knocked off from work when he was informed about the fire by a flatmate.

"When I reached home, the fire was already put out and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were investigating the incident. I was told that computer wiring could have ignited, causing the fire," said Lin, adding that the living room bore the main brunt of the blaze, resulting in blackened walls.

Lin said that the lease would have been up at the end of the month and the flat would be returned to the landlord in July.

According to him, the landlord had told them that he would be making an insurance claim which would cover some of the cost of the damage, but the remaining renovation and repair costs would have to be borne by the tenants.

In the meantime, they have to look for an alternative roof over their heads.

"There is no electricity in the unit, so my flatmates and I have to find temporary living arrangements. I'll be staying in a hotel," said Lin.

A 77-year-old resident on the fifth floor told Shin Min that when the incident happened, she'd initially thought that someone was burning joss papers. However, she got a fright when she saw the thick plumes of smoke from outside the window and an orange glow.

"I called my son and told him I was very scared. When I went out, the staircase landing was filled with smoke and many people were yelling that there was a fire, so I quickly went downstairs."

When contacted by AsiaOne, SCDF said that the fire involved furniture in the living room of the unit. The fire was put out by members of the public using buckets of water before SCDF personnel arrived.

Around 40 people had self-evacuated and there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In a Facebook post on Friday, MP Tin Pei Ling wrote that she headed to the scene upon receiving the news of the fire that evening.

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She added that she was impressed by a resident who'd stepped up to help put out the flames after just returning home from work.

"His face and mask were covered in soot when I met him at the void deck. His bravery was highly commendable and I hope SCDF will recognise him for that," she said.

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candicecai@asiaone.com