Fire breaks out at coffee shop at Marine Terrace

SINGAPORE — A blaze broke out and gutted a coffee shop at Block 59 Marine Terrace yesterday, forcing residents above it to evacuate from their homes.

The residents were, however, allowed to return to their flats after the fire was extinguished. No casualties or injuries were reported, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

At about 9.02am yesterday, the SCDF were called in to battle the fire. Two fire bikes, two Red Rhinos (Light Fire Attack Vehicles), one fire engine and an ambulance were despatched. The SCDF arrived about 10 minutes later, but by then, the fire had already spread to a sixth stall.

About 10 residents living two floors above the coffee shop were temporarily evacuated. The blaze was eventually put out with two water jets in half an hour. None of the flats above suffered any damage. One of the stall workers, Mr Yin Sin Lin, 34, said the fire spread through the entire coffee shop within minutes after it began.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is also a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, said while it was a good thing that no lives were lost, he was concerned about the stallholders. He said although damage to the property might be covered by insurance, the loss of earnings for the stallholders might not be.

“That’s the part we are looking into, how we can help them, if they need help to find an alternative place to do some business for the family,” he said. ALVIN CHONG