Before the personal mobility device (PMD) footpath ban, reports of PMD riders crashing into pedestrians on the street were as common as headlines about Donald Trump saying something witless.
But now that the ban is in place and Donald Trump is no longer US president, we won’t have to ever hear about them again, right?
Wrong.
See, in addition to accidents on the street, PMDs also became known for causing another, sometimes more severe mishap: fires.
And it seems that it’s the source of yet another house fire.
PMD Explodes in Bukit Batok HDB Room; Allegedly Caused by Battery Unit
A family was forced to flee their Bukit Batok flat after their PMD exploded in the children’s bedroom, reported The New Paper.
On Saturday (19 June), Ms Ainn was in her living room with her two young children, aged three and 5.
They were watching television when they suddenly heard four blasts from the children’s bedroom.
Ms Ainn then saw thick smoke and fire coming from the bedroom, prompting her to flee to her neighbour’s flat with her mother and children.
There, she asked her neighbours to call the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) while her father extinguished the fire using a hose from the bathroom.
Fortunately, he managed to put out most of the fire before the SCDF arrived.
The SCDF said it was alerted to the incident at 5.46pm.
They determined that the fire involved a battery unit of a PMD in the bedroom of the flat.
The fire scared Ms Ainn’s children, as the chaos of the situation made them cry. As for the 29-year-old mother, she felt faint and dizzy after inhaling the smoke and had to be taken to hospital.
Fortunately, Ms Ainn said the fire was contained within her children’s bedroom, and so it didn’t cause extensive damage.
The fire has also put them off PMDs for now, as her father said he doesn’t intend to use one again.
Fire Safety Tips for PMDs & PABs
In an earlier Facebook post, SCDF reminded the public that non-UL2272 PMDs and any form of modifications to PMDs pose a fire risk and threaten public safety.
“Owners of these devices are strongly encouraged to dispose of their devices at the appropriate recyclers,” it said.
From now till 30 June 2021, you may dispose of your PMDs at any KGS Pte Ltd collection point at no cost. Head here to find out more.
SCDF also included an infographic in its post, sharing important fire safety tips with netizens:
Featured Image: Google Maps