QX179R

23 Apr 10, 09:44

Fire started in illegal rooms

WEDNESDAY'S fire at People's Park Complex started in some storerooms which had been built illegally at the fifth-floor carpark of the building, preliminary investigations showed.

The owner had not obtained approval from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to convert the area from a carpark to storage rooms.

'This is a serious fire safety violation and SCDF will follow up to take action against the offender,' an SCDF spokesman said yesterday.

The fire at the mall had sent hundreds of tenants and shoppers scurrying out of the building.

While no one was hurt, the fire has raised the spectre of the blaze which gutted the former Robinsons department store at Raffles Place in 1972.

That fire killed nine people and destroyed $21 million worth of property.

-- ST

QX179R

24 Apr 10, 16:35

Storeroom that caught fire at People's Park Complex a severe breach of rules

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said there has been a severe breach of fire safety regulations for the storeroom that caught fire at People's Park Complex on Wednesday.

It will be taking action against the operator.

Preliminary investigations show that the storeroom was converted from part of a carpark without approval.

Channel NewsAsia’s news team noticed four other such storerooms at the carpark.

While the Urban Redevelopment Authority is investigating the matter, affected shopowners and tenants are considering collective legal action against the management of the building for the damage from the fire. - CNA/vm

aHGer^83

24 Apr 10, 16:37

hahaha~~~ i knew it!!! the other day i went PPC w my mom n saw the amt of thrash n that funny looking room. told my mom that cfm fire hazzard... now kena fire...

QX179R

24 Apr 10, 18:06

Tenants seek compensation

SOOTY air conditioning ducts, faulty computers, drenched carpets and documents and stained ceiling boards. This was the aftermath of last Wednesday's fire at People's Park Complex that caused a mass evacuation.

Several tenants are considering seeking compensation for the damage caused by the fire, which started in a reportedly illegal storeroom on the fifth floor of the building.

'We are seriously considering the neccesary claims for compensation,' said Mr S H Almenoar, 66, a partner at law firm R Ramason & Almenoar. It is located one storey below on the fourth floor.

Water used to put out the fire, dripped from the ceiling and soaked a few stacks of case files and damaged two computers - now fixed - belonging to the law firm. New ceiling boards, that the firm had just installed a few months ago, were also stained with brown water marks - although the flooded fifth floor was drained on Thursday.

Mr Wilson Goh, complex manager at SCMS Property Management, which manages People's Park Complex, could not be reached for comments at press time.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the owner did not have its approval to convert the fifth-floor carpark space into storage rooms nor to build the stores. 'This is a serious fire-safety violation and SCDF will follow up to take action against the offender,' it said in a statement.

-- ST

As romanista2001

24 Apr 10, 18:13

prepare for news update................the offender jumped to his death after getting record fine...............

Fcukpap

24 Apr 10, 18:23

i do not think its the fault with the complex manager, who should have been a qualified fire safety manager himself...it's more of a business decision to allow such things to drag on and happen eventually....property managers are often the scapegoats

do we think its only at PPC that such fire hazards are potential....every complex, mall, HDBs..condos...all have such fire safety issues....want to bring up....jueh lor (too many)!

TTFU

24 Apr 10, 18:26

Originally posted by As romanista2001:

prepare for news update................the offender jumped to his death after getting record fine...............

Really ?

Fcukpap

24 Apr 10, 23:09

wonder if tenants of commercial properties have been actively participating in fire safety education, seminars and drills circulated by these complex managers....i doubt more than 10% are even keen as most are busy with doing businesses and throw all responsibilities to the complex managers.....

to be fair to them....most tenants even leave used carton boxes out or bulky stores in fire escape routes and when complex managers tell hem to move...they complain to the management....

mostly the fault is really the foolishness and selfishness of the tenants

BanguIzai

27 Apr 10, 02:14

Storeroom that caught fire at People’s Park Complex contained sex toys

SINGAPORE: Employees at People’s Park Complex say the storeroom that caught fire Wednesday last week contained sex toys.

They told MediaCorp the storeroom units on the fifth floor car park were rented for "several hundred dollars each month" but were unaware that they were illegally built.

They say many tenants were seen smoking, despite the "No Smoking" signs painted across the car park’s wall.

SCMS Property Management, which manages People’s Park Complex, says the car park is owned by another company and its management does not come under the company’s purview.

A spokesman declined comment on the issue of compensation or illegal storerooms.

Other tenants say the fire alarm was tested weekly but there was no fire evacuation drill.

Fire at People's Park Complex

Storeroom that caught fire at People’s Park Complex contained sex toys