Loud explosion heard as fire breaks out near Malay shrines on Kusu Island hilltop
Posted on 18 April 2022 | 2,734 views | 10 comments
Kok Yufeng
The Straits Times
April 18, 2022 Several explosions rocked the evening air and thick smoke billowed from Kusu Island on Sunday (April 17) after a fire broke out at a hilltop where three Malay keramats (shrines) are located. Witnesses who saw the fire from nearby Lazarus Island said the blaze started at about 6.20pm. The Singapore Coast Guard, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) later arrived at the scene.
Heavy rain helped to douse the flames, which looked to have engulfed the area near the shrines.
At the Kusu Island pier were a Singapore Coast Guard boat and an MPA boat, he said. He did not see any day-trippers or recreational activity. "Usually at about 6.30pm, there is no longer a crowd there," he added.
SCDF said its marine and land-based firefighting forces responded to the fire amid a heavy downpour.
A Marine Rescue Vessel (MRV) and a Rapid Response Fire Vessel from Brani Marine Fire Station and West Coast Marine Fire Station were despatched to the island, along with firefighting crew from Marina Bay Fire Station.
Managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Kusu Island is home to the three Malay shrines as well as a Chinese temple.
During the ninth lunar month, which falls between September and November, an annual pilgrimage to the island attracts thousands of devotees who visit the Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Kong) Temple located closer to the pier.
After paying their respects at the temple, many devotees will climb 152 steps up a small hill to visit the shrines of three Malay saints.
According to the SLA's website, the shrines were built to commemorate a 19th-century pious man, Syed Abdul Rahman, his mother Nenek Ghalib and sister Puteri Fatimah.
The Straits Times
April 18, 2022 Several explosions rocked the evening air and thick smoke billowed from Kusu Island on Sunday (April 17) after a fire broke out at a hilltop where three Malay keramats (shrines) are located. Witnesses who saw the fire from nearby Lazarus Island said the blaze started at about 6.20pm.
Heavy rain helped to douse the flames, which looked to have engulfed the area near the shrines. PHOTO: SCDF/FACEBOOK
Source:
The Straits Times
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