Fire breaks out at Aljunied tutoring centre; locked door delays access to unit

SINGAPORE: A day before a BMW caught fire outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel along Orchard Road on Nov 3, another fire broke out at a tutoring centre in Aljunied on Nov 2. A concerned reader reported seeing thick smoke coming from the unit, and at least three fire trucks were dispatched to the scene.

As reported by Shin Min Daily News, the fire broke out at around 2:40 pm on Nov 2 in a unit on the second floor of an HDB block along Aljunied Avenue 2. When reporters visited the scene, they found that the unit housed a tutoring centre, with cardboard boxes and other miscellaneous items piled up outside.

A manager from a nearby company said she first smelled smoke before hearing the fire alarm ringing loudly. When a neighbour alerted them that there was a fire, she and two colleagues immediately evacuated the building for their safety.

Further details revealed that the tutoring centre had been operating for at least seven or eight years. Fortunately, no one was inside when the fire broke out.

Some members of the public rushed to the scene with fire extinguishers in an attempt to put out the blaze. However, they could not enter the unit because its door was locked. SCDF officers eventually broke down the door to gain access and tackle the fire.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that it had received a report of the incident. Authorities used a compressed air foam system to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

In a separate incident, a fire also reportedly broke out in the kitchen of an HDB flat at Bedok North Avenue 1, alarming nearby residents.

According to the authorities, the fire affected items in the kitchen. Investigations suggest that it was caused by food being left unattended while cooking.

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