Second-hand air-con explodes in Bukit Merah flat, toddler and teen next door taken to hospital

Wallace Woon
The Straits Times
April 28, 2023

Two people were taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) on Thursday after a second-hand air-conditioner in a Housing Board flat in Redhill caught fire and exploded.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to a fire at Block 110 Jalan Bukit Merah at 3.40pm on Thursday.

The fire involved an air-conditioner in a bedroom of the flat on the eighth floor and was put out using a fire extinguisher.

An SCDF spokesman said that two people were taken to KKH, and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The flat’s resident, who identified himself only as Mr Tan, told The Straits Times that the air-con unit had been purchased by his wife and was installed by an electrician around 1½ years ago.

He confirmed that his two children – a 19-month-old girl and an eight-year-old boy – as well as his wife, were unharmed by the fire.

The two people taken to hospital were a 14-year-old teenager and 20-month-old boy from the flat next door, reported Shin Min Daily News.

Mr Tan added that as the fire had come from his flat, he felt responsible for checking on the well-being of his neighbours.

“I spoke to my neighbours on the eighth floor as well as all of those living on the seventh and ninth floor to check that they were all okay,” Mr Tan said.

Neighbours who witnessed the incident told Shin Min that they saw black smoke emanating from the flat.

Shin Min reported that three people – Mr Tan’s wife and their two children – ran out of the flat after smoke started coming out. Moments later, the air-conditioner exploded, eyewitnesses said.

ST has contacted the Tanjong Pagar Town Council, which oversees the area where the flat is located, for comment.