Train commuters were in the dark about fire

SINGAPORE — Confusion appeared to be the order of the day as commuters reported that they were not told of the fire that broke out in the train tunnel between Newton and Novena stations.

Those who were at the scene during the fire said they only left the station after seeing white plumes and the air grew too hazy to ignore.

No fire alarms were heard and no instructions on evacuation were given even as staff “locked up the entrances to the station”, said civil servant Victor Tan. “SMRT should have evacuated everybody when they made the announcement (about a train delay). I felt they were trying to play down the whole thing,” said the 31-year-old.

Elsewhere, muffled announcements meant commuters on their way towards the affected stretch did not have a clue.

Designer Peggy Sim, 25, who was on a train from Ang Mo Kio, said in-train announcements “were very unclear” and no staff actively informed or encouraged staff to disembark.

Product executive Albert Hoolsema, 26, said staff seemed almost surprised to see commuters still on his train when it pulled into Novena, before finally being told “it was the end of the line”.

“They (SMRT) called it ‘an incident’,” he said, which meant most commuters chose to stay on the trains waiting for it to move rather than disembarking.

At Newton station, SMRT staff had to move an A3-sized placard disruption warning placed near the entrance closer to a bus stop. It did not seem to help much, as commuters walked blindly past it to get into the station.

There was also a minor mix-up as some commuters who took the free bus shuttles were dropped off at Newton station at around 10.30am, more than an hour after the fire broke out.

With the station under lockdown, SMRT staff had to urge passengers to re-board buses, which went straight to City Hall and Raffles Place.

Mdm Irene Ho, who was one of those dropped off at Newton, said she did not know what was going on, and initially thought the delay was minor.

“But now I have to take half a day off work,” said the 59-year-old.

Even though staff opened Newton station again at about 10.45am for southbound commuters, few commuters at other stations realised this.

Instead, they packed the buses as SMRT staff were seen handing out A5-sized black-and-white maps with bus routes nearby.

Tourist Thomas Wong said he “did not have staff directing” him, and eventually joined the snaking queue at Raffles City rather than look for the free shuttle service. Additional reporting by Kelly Ng and Louisa Tang