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Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council
SCDF said on July 30 that because the dry rising main was not working, water could not be charged up to the affected floors.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Nadine Chua
SINGAPORE – An underground pipe leak could be the reason the
dry rising main was not working during the blaze
at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 on July 29.
In a statement on July 31, Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said it conducted a joint inspection of the dry riser with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, after SCDF found that it was not working properly.
“In our discussion with SCDF, the probable reason for the failure of the dry riser could be due to an underground pipe leak,” the town council said.
It said the specific dry riser at Block 229, where
the fire broke out
, was last tested by an authorised fire prevention and protection system contractor on Aug 28, 2024, and was found to be in working condition.
The next inspection for the dry riser is scheduled on Aug 5.
The town council said SCDF requires a hydrostatic test for the dry riser to be conducted annually, which includes checks to detect such leaks.
At around 1pm on July 29, a fire broke out in a unit on the 10th floor of the block, engulfing the flat and spreading to a unit on the 11th floor.
Seven people, including a firefighter and a child, were taken to hospital.
A day after the fire, on July 30, SCDF said that because the dry rising main was not working, water could not be charged up to the affected floors.
Firefighters had to set up hoses directly from the fire engine below up to the 10th and 11th floors via the staircase.
ST reported on July 30 that a similar incident
had occurred in August 2020
, where the wet riser was not working when firefighters tried to use it to fight the flames on the 20th floor at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh.
In response, the town council on July 31 said the fire suppression systems involved in the two cases are unrelated.
The 2020 incident involved a wet riser system, while the recent incident in Toa Payoh Lorong 8 involved a dry riser system, said the town council.
It added about the older incident: “Subsequently, the SCDF conducted comprehensive inspections and concluded that all fire safety systems are in good working order. The wet riser system at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh has been properly maintained and remains in full working condition.”
