20-10-2024 (SINGAPORE) A fire incident at Lucky Plaza, a popular shopping centre in the heart of Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road, led to the evacuation of twenty individuals and hospitalisation of two on Sunday morning. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded promptly to the alert, which came in at approximately 9:45 am.
According to SCDF officials, the fire originated from a charcoal stove in a unit located on the sixth floor of the complex. In a display of community spirit and quick thinking, members of the public successfully extinguished the blaze using buckets of water before the arrival of emergency services.
The incident, while contained, necessitated the precautionary evacuation of about twenty people from the premises. Two individuals required medical attention and were subsequently transported to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment. The nature and severity of their conditions have not been disclosed.
Eyewitness accounts painted a vivid picture of the scene. Jane Z Hwee Mei, a patron who had been en route to a hair appointment on the sixth floor, described being “greeted by a plume of smoke and burnt smell”. Her account details the subsequent intervention of a firefighter who instructed everyone in the salon to evacuate immediately.
Social media quickly became a platform for sharing information about the incident. A video posted on Facebook by user Mhae Moliyok at approximately 10:40 am showed SCDF personnel stationed at the mall’s entrance, with an ambulance visibly present nearby. Despite the fire alarm sounding in the background, the atmosphere appeared relatively calm, suggesting an orderly evacuation process.
The SCDF has launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fire safety measures in public spaces and the critical role of community response in emergency situations.
