SINGAPORE – A fire broke out in a Housing Board flat in Ang Mo Kio on the afternoon of Nov 10 after a washing machine went up in flames.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the blaze in the service yard of the unit on the 20th floor was likely caused by an electrical origin, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

It was alerted to the fire at Block 260B Ang Mo Kio Street 21 at about 3.25pm. There were no reported injuries.

A video of the incident which was shared with The Straits Times shows flames inside the affected unit. The units above are partially covered by the rising black smoke.

The fire was extinguished by members of the public using buckets of water and a dry powder extinguisher before SCDF arrived.

There were 1,954 fires in total in 2023, an 8.6 per cent hike from 1,799 cases in 2022. Of the 1,954 fires, 970 took place in residential buildings, an increase of 3.7 per cent from 935 in 2022.

The top two causes were electrical fires with 597 cases, and unattended cooking with 456 cases, according to SCDF statistics.