Power bank fire in Balestier apartment forces 100 residents out of building at 5am

Around 100 residents were evacuated from their serviced apartments on Tuesday (March 12) morning after a power bank caught fire.

The fire occurred at one of the units in Citadines Balestier Singapore at around 5am.

Reporters from Shin Min Daily News arrived at the scene three hours later and saw two fire engines and more than 10 firefighters.

A 56-year-old tourist, who gave his name as Xue, said he immediately ran down from his eighth-floor apartment after the alarm bells rang at 5.30am.

"At that time, there was a strong smell of smoke in the corridor and dozens of people were already waiting downstairs," he said, adding that he was not allowed back into his apartment until two hours later.

Another resident, Eva, said she returned to her apartment on the 20th floor at around 8am.

Adding that the power supply was cut off after the fire, the 30-year-old said: "When I returned, there was a large pool of ​​water in the lift and a smell of smoke in the corridor.

"I heard that residents above the 26th floor were still waiting outside the building until about 9am."

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesperson told AsiaOne that the fire involved a portable bank in the bedroom of a unit on the 26th floor.

About 100 residents had evacuated from the premises before SCDF personnel arrived and extinguished the fire with a hosereel.

"A person was assessed by an SCDF paramedic for smoke inhalation but declined to be sent to the hospital," the spokesperson added.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Users should avoid leaving their power banks on prolonged charge to prevent overheating, the Consumer Product Safety Office said on its website.

They should also keep their power banks away from metal objects such as coins, paper clips and keys and insert them into the USB output port. Short circuits may present risks of excessive heat, fire or explosion.

Consumers should also look for power banks that come with safety protection features, such as over-charge protection, short-circuit protection, over-temperature or over-heat protection, the Consumer Product Safety Office added.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com