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Three people taken to hospital after fire in Toa Payoh flat
Fire at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 on Jul 29, 2025. (Photos: Facebook/Chris Soh)
Charmaine Jacob
29 Jul 2025 02:17PM (Updated: 29 Jul 2025 04:14PM)
SINGAPORE: Firefighting operations are underway in Toa Payoh on Tuesday (Jul 29) after a blaze broke out in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat.
The fire in the flat on the 10th floor of Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 subsequently spread to another unit on the 11th floor of the block.
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters have been able to bring the fire in the 10th-floor unit under control, but were still fighting the fire in the 11th-floor flat as of 3.22pm.
"The fire in the 10th-floor unit has been brought under control with two water jets," SCDF said in a Facebook post.
"Firefighters conducted forcible entry into a unit on the 11th floor and are currently fighting a fire in the unit."
SCDF said it was alerted to the incident at about 1.10pm.
The fire was raging inside the 10th-floor unit when firefighters arrived, SCDF said.
Three people were assessed for smoke inhalation and burn injuries, and taken to Singapore General Hospital.
Footage showed thick smoke billowing out of several windows of the unit on the 10th floor, with a few window frames mangled from the heat.
Charred pieces of debris, including what appeared to be part of a fallen window frame, were seen at the foot of the building.
The smoke could also be seen from the nearby Central Expressway.
There were about nine SCDF vehicles, including two ambulances, as well as three police cars near the affected block when CNA arrived at the scene at about 2.15pm.
SCDF personnel were seen attending to several individuals and administering oxygen.
A crowd of about 100 people were also gathered at an adjacent basketball court.
When CNA arrived at the scene at 2.13pm, there were at least eight police cars, two fire engines and an ambulance.
An elderly lady was resting on a stretcher chair at a badminton court at the foot of the block, and several residents said that others had already been taken to the hospital.
Mr Lawrence Tan, a resident living on the ninth floor with his wife and two-year-old grandson, said that he detected a "fishy" rubber smell around 1pm. After leaving his flat, he encountered a lady in her 40s running down from the 10th floor seeking help.
It was her house that had caught fire, and she claimed that it started from the clothes dryer in the kitchen, Mr Tan said.
"I helped her to call 995 and we knocked on the doors on the ninth floor before taking the lift down," said the 74-year-old added.
A resident living on the ninth floor who only wanted to be known as Mr Yeo said he was resting at home when the police started knocking on doors and telling people to evacuate.
"We closed all our windows and I took my bag and went downstairs. I also helped the elderly on my floor come down as some of them were in wheelchairs."
"I think there are people still stuck on the 12th floor and above. I’ve already seen about three to four residents being brought to the hospital," Mr Yeo said.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat, who is a Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency, spoke to CNA after he arrived at the scene of the fire at around 2.45pm.
He said he was aware there were still residents stuck on the higher floors, but that SCDF was "trying their best" to evacuate them.
When asked about the residents conveyed to the hospital, Mr Saktiandi said he hopes that they are well taken care of.
"I'm worried about the firefighters because… it's a point block, it (does not) have (corridors), and (the unit) is on a high floor," he said. "Let's hope they can contain the fire."
Grassroots leaders will ensure that the occupants of units affected by the fire will be provided with alternative housing arrangements, said Mr Saktiandi, who represents the Toa Payoh East ward in the constituency.
He said he is not aware of what caused the fire and urged the public to wait for SCDF to complete its investigation into the incident.
Mr Maheason Prumal, assistant treasurer of the Toa Payoh East Zone 2 Residents' Network, said that the area's residents' committee centre has been prepared if any residents affected by the fire need a place to sleep tonight.
Mr Prumal and his team of volunteers also brought water, fruit juice and snacks for residents.
"We're very concerned about the elderly because this is quite a mature estate," he said.
"Besides the agencies doing their work, we as the resident committee are doing everything we can to manage and calm down the trauma," he added.
Ms Ivy Wang, who lives in the unit next to the one where the fire started, said that her husband received a message from a neighbour living in the opposite block about the blaze on the 10th floor.
"They live next to us. Their laundry area is next to our laundry area. When we look up from here, we can see that (our flat is) not affected. But we're worried about the kitchen," she said.
Ms Wang and her husband said that they will likely be staying in temporary housing provided by HDB for the time being.
