Fire breaks out at Holland Close unit
When they saw smoke coming from a 10th-storey unit in their block on Thursday, some residents thought it was the work of a film crew that had been shooting in the area.
Upon realising the unit at Block 32 Holland Close was on fire, some pulled out their phones to snap videos.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the fire at around 3.50pm and forcibly used a power saw to enter the unit. The fire, which started in a bedroom, was extinguished by a water jet.
About 25 of the block's residents were evacuated by the police and SCDF. There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday that the unit's occupants are a mother and son who were away when the fire broke out.
When The New Paper visited the flat yesterday, an elderly woman and a man were clearing debris inside the flat. When approached, they declined to comment.
Residents said there was a strong burning smell.
Retiree Yap Ah Pung, 69, who lives two doors from the affected unit, recalled hearing several mini-explosions and a resident shouting at neighbours to evacuate.
Mr Yap and his wife left their home and waited for about two hours before they were allowed to return.
They were puzzled about the other residents' apparent lack of concern.
Mr Arron Lee, 24, who lives on the same storey, remained at home during the incident.
He said: "(Residents) were excited because (the fire) was something new for them.
"Nobody was panicking."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
