Yesterday afternoon, a third floor escalator landing in Chinatown Point caught fire. As smoke filled the mall, about 200 shoppers and mall workers were evacuated. No injuries were reported.
According to Channel News Asia, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident at approximately 3pm, whereupon it deployed two fire engines, two Red Rhinos and two support vehicles. The fire was extinguished with a water jet, and normal operations resumed at approximately 3.45pm.
At a glance, preliminary investigations have revealed that the fire involved electrical wiring in the Schindler escalator’s motor. A spokesperson for Perennial Real Estate, which manages the mall, said the escalators are serviced monthly — this particular one previously underwent maintenance on Feb 15. They are now investigating the cause of the fault with Schindler, as well as looking into eyewitnesses’ claim that the fire alarm failed to sound off.
