SINGAPORE: A fatal fire in a Bukit Merah flat on 13 Aug 2025 may have been caused by a personal mobility device (PMD) battery pack in the living room, according to preliminary findings by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The SCDF shared the update on 14 Aug in a Facebook post, urging the public not to charge devices for prolonged periods or leave them unattended overnight.
It also advised against using non-original batteries.
The blaze occurred in a fourth-floor unit at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah.
A 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were found unconscious in the kitchen and later died in hospital.
Two people from neighbouring units were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
About 60 residents were evacuated by police and SCDF officers.
Radin Mas SMC MP Melvin Yong said in a Facebook post on 13 Aug that the town council had restored electricity to the block, which had been cut off during the fire.
Grassroots leaders provided essentials such as food, water and bedding to affected residents.
On 22 July, another fatal fire at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 claimed two lives.
On 30 July, a fire at Block 4 Marsiling Road sent three people to hospital.
Preliminary SCDF investigations indicated that the blaze likely started from the battery pack of a power-assisted bicycle left in the living room.
SCDF statistics show fires involving active mobility devices rose 21.8 per cent from 55 in 2023 to 67 in 2024, with PMD-related fires up 38.9 per cent.
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