Taxi catches fire outside Serangoon Gardens church, forces 50 people to be evacuated

SINGAPORE - Some 50 people were evacuated from a church after a Comfort taxi caught fire at Lichfield Road in Serangoon Gardens on Saturday night (July 8).

Eyewitnesses at the scene told The Straits Times that most of the 50 people were evacuated from the adjacent Trinity Methodist Church.

Mr Andrew Chong, 48, who works in the insurance industry, told The Straits Times that he was having dinner in the church compound when he saw smoke coming out of a taxi's bonnet along the road outside.

A taxi driver then came out and appeared to be unharmed.

"The fire became bigger and two loud booms were heard. The two front tyres had exploded," said Mr Chong, adding that police asked those in the vicinity to evacuate the area.

About 10 minutes later at 9.05pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived and began to put out the fire.

ST has contacted the police and SCDF for more information on the incident.

ALSO READ: Good Samaritan helps evacuate residents in Hougang flat fire, gets taken to hospital

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