51-year-old man arrested after Whampoa Heights fire hospitalises five, 40 residents evacuated
A 51-year-old man was arrested for mischief by fire after a blaze at Whampoa Heights on 29 May. The fire prompted the evacuation of 40 residents and sent five people, including the suspect, to hospital for smoke inhalation.
SINGAPORE: A 51-year-old man was arrested in connection with a fire at Whampoa Heights that broke out on 29 May 2025.
The fire led to the evacuation of 40 residents and the hospitalisation of five people due to smoke inhalation.
According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the incident occurred at about 11:40am at 20 Jalan Tenteram.
Footage on TikTok showed flames and thick smoke rising from the second and third floors of the Housing Board block.
https://youtube.com/shorts/VQRPLh-Xg_g?si=iSo2h51GwGwp4tY6
SCDF said the fire involved items placed in the common corridors outside two flats, one on each of the affected floors.
The blaze charred the interiors of both units and caused heat and soot damage to adjacent flats.
Five individuals, aged between 12 and 74, including the suspect, were taken to hospital conscious.
Police later arrested the man for the offence of mischief by fire.
SCDF urged residents to keep common corridors, lift lobbies, and staircases free of clutter to reduce fire risks.
It noted that clutter can speed up fire spread and hinder emergency operations.
In 2021, the same block experienced a fire that resulted in ten hospitalisations.
SCDF recorded 968 residential fire calls in 2024, mostly caused by unattended cooking and electrical faults.
