A 58-year-old man was arrested for allegedly starting a fire at a HDB block on Chai Chee Avenue on September 5, which led to the evacuation of roughly 50 residents and the hospitalization of four people.
The Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) said that it was informed about a fire at Block 31 Chai Chee Avenue at about 11.05 pm. SCDF said, "The living room of an eighth-floor unit was on fire."
It claimed that no one was inside the apartment and that a water jet had put out the fire.
When questioned by the media on September 7, the police stated that the 58-year-old man had been taken into custody for "causing or contributing to risk of dangerous fire."
Four men, ranging in age from 20 to 78, were admitted to the hospital, they added. All of them were awake.
Three residents of nearby apartments had their levels of smoke inhalation evaluated. Changi General Hospital received two of them, while Singapore General Hospital (SGH) received the third.
A firefighter was also assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to SGH.
"About 50 people from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure," the SCDF said, adding that the cause of the fire is being investigated.
In a September 6 Facebook post, Edwin Tong, the Minister of Law and the Second Minister of Home Affairs, claimed to have visited the scene of the fire. He said he went there "to check on our residents, thank the team of volunteers and officers, and to assess next steps".
The East Coast Town Council team is working with HDB officers to restore power and gradually restore the common corridor to its original form over the next few days, Tong, who is also an East Coast GRC MP, said, adding that the impacted residents have been placed in temporary housing.
Tan Kiat How, a fellow East Coast GRC MP, expressed gratitude to the East Coast Town Council, the SCDF, and community volunteers for helping the impacted residents.
According to him, they had made the Residents' Network center available for seniors to relax in, served refreshments and snacks, and helped residents who had trouble moving around.
"TC (town council) team was also on hand to restore electricity and water to affected units, and are helping to clean up the common spaces," he said. "We will also repaint the facade of the building."
Tan went on to say that residents whose apartments are severely damaged have been given temporary housing.
