The fatal fire in a Bukit Merah flat on Aug 13 could have started from a personal mobility device (PMD) battery pack in the living room.
This is according to the preliminary findings of the fire investigation, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in an update on its Facebook page on Aug 14.
The public should not leave batteries or devices charging for prolonged periods or leave the batteries to charge unattended overnight, it added.
Also, people should not buy or use non-original batteries for devices, SCDF advised.
A 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman died in hospital on Aug 13 after they were found in the kitchen by firefighters who were putting out the blaze in a fourth-floor flat at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah.
Two other people from neighbouring units were also taken to hospital because of the fire, and about 60 people from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF.
Mr Melvin Yong, MP for Radin Mas, said in a Facebook post late on Aug 13 that the town council has restored the block’s electricity supply, which was cut off during the fire.
Grassroots leaders have also secured essentials, such as food, water and bedding, for residents who are unable to return to their homes owing to the heat from the fire and ongoing investigations by SCDF and police.
According to the latest statistics from SCDF, fires in 2024 involving active mobility devices (AMDs) increased by 21.8 per cent, from 55 in 2023 to 67 in 2024.
AMDs include PMDs, power-assisted bicycles and personal mobility aids.
Fires involving PMDs increased by 38.9 per cent, from 18 in 2023 to 25 in 2024.
Daniel Lai for The Straits Times
PMD battery may have started Jalan Bukit Merah fire: SCDF
