SINGAPORE: Many students and staff from the National University of Singapore (NUS) had to be evacuated on Friday afternoon when a huge fire broke out at a rooftop of one of its buildings.
An NUS spokesperson said smoke was first detected on the roof of Block E3A at NUS Kent Ridge Campus at 2.25pm.
The university's campus security was alerted and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was activated.
As a safety precaution, all occupants in the building and the surrounding buildings were evacuated immediately.
Ms
Mok Qing Lin, 22, an engineering student at the scene, told Todayonline
that there were about 100 students and teaching staff members who were
evacuated from Block 3A. It is vacation period, if not, the numbers
would have been larger.
The university said a contract security
guard working in the building has been sent to the National University
Hospital (NUH) due to smoke inhalation.
SCDF said three of its firefighters were also sent to NUH for heat exhaustion.
No other injuries have been reported.
The affected building and its surrounding areas have been cordoned off.
As of 5.30pm, SCDF said the fire was "under control", but its men are still busy on the ground.
Mr
Lloyd Tee Sze Hou earlier told Channel NewsAsia that the "NUS
engineering faculty experienced an explosion while students were at an
NUSSU Rag event".
It is believed that the incident happened at the solar energy research labs.
NUS said it is investigating the incident.
- CNA/cc/al/sf
Nine water jets deployed to contain NUS fire
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on Friday deployed nine water jets to contain the fire at an Engineering Faculty building at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
It said its firefighters had to break the windows on the first two floors for ventilation.
NUS said smoke was first detected on the roof of Block E3A at the Kent Ridge Campus at 2.25pm.
As a safety precaution, all occupants in the building and the surrounding buildings were evacuated.
Ms
Mok Qing Lin, 22, an engineering student at the scene, told Todayonline
that there were about 100 students and teaching staff members who were
evacuated from the buildings around Block 3A. It is vacation period, if
not, the numbers would have been larger.
The university said a
contract security guard working in the building has been sent to the
National University Hospital (NUH) due to smoke inhalation.
SCDF said three of its firefighters were also sent to NUH for heat exhaustion.
No other injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Fire at NUS extinguished
SINGAPORE: A huge fire that broke out at a building at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Kent Ridge campus on Friday afternoon was extinguished at 7.10pm.
A 51-year-old security guard was sent to hospital for smoke inhalation and three firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.
From the Clementi
area at about 2.25pm, thick black smoke could be seen emitting from the
eight-storey Block E3A of the Engineering Faculty.
NUS said smoke was first detected on the building's rooftop.
But a passer-by said there were flames on the side of the building too.
As a safety precaution, all occupants in the building and the surrounding buildings were evacuated.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said its firefighters had to break the windows on the first two floors for ventilation.
A worker said the fire could have started in one of the research labs.
The building houses the Solar Energy Research Institute as well as the Material Science Department.
No other injuries have been reported.
The affected building and its surrounding areas have been cordoned off.
Some evacuees spoke about their experiences.
"We
came down and saw black fumes. I think a lot of people came out from
other buildings as well, about 100 (people)..." said an evacuee.
subtitle)
"Those
working there told us to run out quickly. Very thick smoke. Very big.
We were at the carpark upstairs. They were afraid of toxic gases and
asked us to go downstairs," said another evacuee.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.