SINGAPORE: A passenger’s power bank caught fire in an MRT train on Friday evening (Mar 7), causing a commotion as it arrived at Raffles Place station along the East-West Line.

Transport operator SMRT said the emergency communication button on an eastbound train was activated at about 5.30pm. 

“Our station staff responded quickly and found that a commuter’s power bank had caught fire,” Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, said in response to CNA’s queries. 

“They used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire and ensured that all 650 commuters on the train disembarked safely.”

First aid was provided to the passenger, who did not want to be taken to hospital. No other injuries were reported, said SMRT. 

The passenger described the incident on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, saying the power bank was in her bag when it suddenly caught fire. 

She said she threw her bag on the ground and rushed out with other passengers when the train doors opened.

The woman posted photos of a smoke-filled train cabin, as well as her blackened hands and clothes. She also shared photos of her damaged power bank and bag. 

According to 8world News, the passenger, identified only as Ms Chen, is in her 20s. She said she was about to arrive at Raffles Place MRT station when she saw thick smoke in the carriage. She did not immediately realise her power bank had caught fire until other passengers looked at her and moved away.

“Everyone ran away from me, and I realised that my problem was mine,” she told the Mandarin news platform.

“We had just arrived at the station, and when the train doors opened, everyone ran out. I thought the safest thing to do was to throw my bag in the empty carriage.”

To clear the smoke, SMRT staff switched on the station’s exhaust system, said Mr Lam, adding that services resumed once the affected train was moved to the depot for checks.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at about 5.45pm, and that the fire was put up by SMRT staff. 

“The train was later moved to Changi Depot, where SCDF was activated to investigate the cause of the fire,” it added.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the fire was likely caused by an electrical origin from the power bank.”