Man, 20, dies after PMD catches fire in lift at Woodlands block
SINGAPORE — A 20-year-old man died after a fire involving a personal mobility device (PMD) in a lift at Block 537 Woodlands Drive 16 on Thursday night (3 June).
In a post on its Facebook page, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Friday that it responded to a fire on the second floor of the block at 11.25pm last night.
The fire involved a PMD in a lift and was extinguished by members of the public using buckets of water before SCDF’s arrival.
The police separately said the man was conscious while he was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
About 90 residents from the block were evacuated as a precautionary measure, the SCDF said.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was of electrical origin from a PMD, the SCDF added.
The SCDF warned the public that non-UL2272 PMDs and any form of modifications to PMDs pose a fire risk.
Vikram Nair, Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, gave more details about the incident in a Facebook post on Friday. He said, "Two families who saw the victim coming out of the lift rushed into action and helped douse the fire on him. SCDF then moved swiftly to help put out the fire in the lift. Sadly though, the victim succumbed to his injuries today."
Nair said he dropped by after hearing of the incident. He noted that the damage is extensive and the Sembawang Town Council team is cleaning things up.
The Building and Construction Authority has given approval for the other lift at the block to continue functioning, Nair said. The smoke smell has not cleared and repairs to the damaged lift may take some time, he added.
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