Fifty people evacuated from Marine Parade hotel after fire

TNP PHOTO: Gary Goh

Fire broke out at the basement of East Village Hotel at Marine Parade Road yesterday morning.

The fire started in a 70m-by-70m area where thousands of polystyrene boards and other construction materials, including flammable liquid like thinner, were stored.

The intensity and volume of the smoke made putting out the blaze a real challenge, said firefighters involved in the operation. And their job was made more difficult as their access to the basement was blocked by a 10cm-thick wall.

Eleven people, including two firefighters, were injured in the blaze.