About 80 residents living in a Housing Board block in Telok Blangah were evacuated on Friday, November 29, after a fire broke out at a coffee shop on the ground floor, leaving two people needing hospital care.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was informed about the blaze at Block 61 Telok Blangah Heights at around 11.10 am. When firefighters arrived, several stalls within the coffee shop were already engulfed in flames.
SCDF deployed three water jets to bring the fire under control. Ten people were assessed for smoke inhalation at the scene. Of them, one was taken to Singapore General Hospital while another was sent to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The Straits Times reported that the fire had been extinguished at about 12.30pm, though many residents were still gathered outside the block as they awaited clearance to return to their homes. A video posted on Facebook shortly before noon showed intense flames sweeping through the coffee shop, accompanied by thick smoke billowing upward.
The incident comes amid a rise in fire-related cases in Singapore. According to SCDF's annual statistics released on February 13, the number of fires climbed to 1,990 in 2024, up from 1,954 the year before. The increase was largely attributed to more fires occurring in commercial, social and communal premises, including community centres and religious buildings.
Fire-related fatalities also rose, from three deaths in 2023 to five in 2024.
Investigations into the Telok Blangah fire are still ongoing.
