Yesterday morning (Thursday October 12) an infant, as well as three others, were injured in a fire that broke out in a Bukit Batok flat, according to news reports.
The cause of the fire is suspected to be related to the overnight charging of an electric bike.
Bukit Batok Fire Injures Baby And the Baby’s Parents
The Straits Times reports that the e-bike that caught fire belonged to the residents of a unit on the second floor.
However, it was parked near the door of the opposite unit, where the residents are a couple and their newborn baby. They also sustained injuries in the blaze.
All four affected by the fire were taken to the National University Hospital. Reports say all of them, including the baby, suffered minor injuries.
The newborn’s aunt, who also lives with the family, said they were monitoring the baby carefully.
“We woke up at around 3 am because we heard loud popping sounds and we opened the door to take a look. That’s when we saw a lot of smoke,” she told the Straits Times.
In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence explains that at around 4am yesterday, they were alerted of the fire on the second floor of Block 231, Bukit Batok East Avenue.
They put out the fire with a water jet; it caused extensive damage to the living room and corridor of the unit.
Not the first time
This is not the first time a fire has been caused by an overcharged electrical item, including e-bikes, phones and power banks.
Last year, according to the SCDF, e-bikes caused 17 fires. Personal mobility devices caused 14 fires – up significantly from just one the previous year.
Safety precautions you should take
When charging personal mobility devices, keep these tips from the SCDF in mind in order to prevent battery fires.
- Avoid overcharging the battery, especially leaving it to charge overnight.
- When charging such batteries, place them on hard flat surfaces to allow optimal dissipation of heat.
- Do not place the charging battery near combustible materials.
Do take these incidents as safety warnings, mums and dads. We hope that all those injured in this fire have a speedy recovery and that the little baby is okay.
References: The Straits Times, Channel News Asia.
Featured image: The Straits Times/Screengrab
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