SINGAPORE: A man and an infant were taken to hospital on Tuesday (Oct 8) following a fire likely caused by a personal mobility device (PMD) at Bukit Batok West.



The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire in a flat on the fifth floor of Block 416 Bukit Batok West Avenue 4 at about 10.40am.





The fire, which involved the contents of a bedroom, was extinguished with one water jet.



A man from the apartment that caught fire and a baby girl from a sixth floor flat were taken to Singapore General Hospital and KK Women's and Children's Hospital for smoke inhalation, SCDF said.





About 30 residents from the affected block were also evacuated as a precaution.



“Preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire indicates that it was of electrical origin from a PMD which was charging at the time of the fire,” SCDF added.



A photograph of the affected bedroom showed the charred remains of two bunk beds, as well as scorch marks on the walls and ceiling.

SCDF reminded members of the public not to charge their personal mobility devices, power-assisted bicycles or their batteries near combustible materials or along escape paths.



These devices or their batteries should also not be left charging unattended or overnight.



Fire safety tips on preventing PMD fires. (Graphic: Facebook/SCDF)

The fire on Tuesday morning is the latest in a string of blazes sparked by PMDs.

Earlier this month, an elderly man was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a flat at Marsiling. Preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire indicated that it was of electrical origin from one of three PMD batteries which were charging.

On Sep 28, an e-scooter ridden by a food deliveryman caught fire along Fernvale Street in Sengkang. Video footage of the incident showed the e-scooter engulfed in flames as a man wearing a Foodpanda T-shirt and carrying a delivery bag was standing nearby.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) encourages all PMD owners to use UL2272 certified devices.



More information on the certification and an indicative list of UL2272 certified devices available in Singapore are available on LTA’s website.



All owners of non-UL2272 certified PMDs are strongly encouraged to dispose of their devices at designated disposal points.