1 taken to hospital, hundreds evacuated after fire at The Cathay
SINGAPORE: One person was taken to hospital and hundreds were evacuated after a fire broke out at The Cathay on Saturday evening (Dec 31).
The fire started at around 6pm, when the electricity distribution box in the projector room on the seventh floor of the cineplex caught fire, Cathay Cineplexes said in a Facebook post at about 8.15pm.
One member of staff in his 30s was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital "for inhalation of fumes", said the Singapore Civil Defence Force. He is now in a stable condition, Cathay Cineplexes added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the fire at 2 Handy Raod at 6.30pm, but added that the fire was put out by a sprinkler prior to their arrival. Approximately 550 cinema goers were evacuated from the mall by building staff as a precaution, said SCDF.
Cathay Cineplexes said that The Cathay cinema would be closed until further notice, but other stores in The Cathay Mall would still be in operation. It added that it would issue cash refunds for patrons who purchased movie tickets for shows starting from Dec 31 at 3.45pm to Jan 4 at 11.59pm.
SCDF said are investigating the cause of the fire and added that they sent a fire engine, two fire bikes, three red rhinos, an ambulance and three support vehicles to the fire's location.
- CNA/nc