SINGAPORE — A man was detained by police following an alleged blast in front of the Kallang Neighbourhood Police Post late Friday night (13 March), according to eyewitnesses.

Jerome Simon, a 38-year-old personal trainer, was trying to get to sleep when he heard what sounded like a blast at around 11.40pm. Looking out from the window of his block at 113B McNair Road, he could see flames and heard people screaming in the distance, he told Yahoo News Singapore.

When Simon went to the scene at Block 105 Towner Road, he saw that something had apparently been “blown up” in front of the Kallang Neighbourhood Police Post, which is located at the foot of the block.

A shirtless man with a black hood over his head had been detained by the police near the scene while he was there.

“It was completely insane,” Simon said, describing the incident.

The word “ISIS” could be seen repeatedly scrawled on the walls of the block.

A video posted on Facebook by user Maya Korrs appeared to show the incident prior to the authorities’ arrival. In it, a man dressed in dark clothes can be seen walking back and forth from a lorry parked in front of the police post while the blaze is taking place.

At one point the man appears to toss two bags into the fire. A small eruption can also be heard near the start of the video.

Another eyewitness, Facebook user Tarlo Gill, said he witnessed the incident outside the police post. He said police and Singapore Civil Defence Force personnel “came swiftly to put out the fire/explosives and of course to arrest the man”.

In response to queries from Yahoo News Singapore, the police said they were alerted to a case of fire at Blk 105 Towner Road on 13 March 2020 at 11.10pm.

“There were no injuries or casualties reported. A 31-year-old man has been detained for his suspected involvement in the case. Police investigations are ongoing,” the police said.





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