logo
Fire breaks out in bedroom of Toa Payoh HDB flat; 1 taken to hospital

Fire breaks out in bedroom of Toa Payoh HDB flat; 1 taken to hospital

Straits Times12 hours ago
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
One of the bedrooms in the unit caught fire and was put out by firefighters with a water jet.
SINGAPORE – One person was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in the bedroom of a Toa Payoh Housing Board flat on the morning of July 14.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that it responded to the fire in a 12th floor unit at Block 194 Kim Keat Avenue at about 11.50am.
Firefighters put out the flames with a water jet after entering the smoke-filled unit.
The rest of the unit, as well as the corridor area, sustained heat and smoke damage, said SCDF.
Three people evacuated from the affected unit before SCDF's arrival, and about 60 residents from the block were evacuated by the police as a precautionary measure.
SCDF said that it assessed two people for smoke inhalation.
One of them was taken to the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, while the other declined to be taken to the hospital, it added.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun
Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world
Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat
Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate
Singapore Jail, caning for man who had 285 child porn videos, including those that show infants
Singapore Jail for woman who opened bank accounts that received over $640.7m, including scam proceeds
Singapore Three power companies chosen to study carbon capture and storage to help Singapore decarbonise
Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run in Hougang
SCDF said that preliminary findings indicate that the cause of the fire was likely from an electrical origin in the affected bedroom.
According to
SCDF's annual statistics report released on Feb 13, there were 968 residential fire calls in 2024.
Of these, 299 were fires caused by electrical origins, while 335 were from unattended cooking, making these the top two causes of fires in residential premises.
There were 8.3 per cent more fires due to electrical origins in 2024 than in 2023.
Fires due to electrical origins were mostly caused by faults in electrical wiring or electrical appliances, or due to the overloading of electrical sockets, SCDF said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Then and now: Days of being wild in Singapore
Then and now: Days of being wild in Singapore

Straits Times

time18 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Then and now: Days of being wild in Singapore

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Whether 1845 or 2025, some things in Singapore never change. Snippets on how we reported them then and now. Workers removing the body of Twiggy, a black panther, from an underground drain near the Singapore Turf Club. The animal had escaped from the Singapore Zoo in March 1973. In 2023, retail manager Durga Devi was walking back to her Bukit Panjang home when a wild boar charged at her. The animal attacked her four times, flinging her from side to side before tossing her onto the road, The Straits Times reported. A passing jogger rushed to help. She survived the attack but had to undergo multiple operations in what doctors described as one of the worst boar attacks they had seen. Animal encounters, whether wild or captive, have long fascinated the public. In March 1973, Twiggy the panther escaped from the Singapore Zoo. For 11 months, it roamed the island before it was found dead in an underground drain near the Singapore Turf Club. A policeman advising pupils from Sembawang Hills Estate School to stay away from the jungle, as a panther that escaped from the Singapore Zoo had been spotted nearby. Two troops of Reserve Unit officers on duty and three police dogs were ordered to the scene in March 1973. PHOTO: ST FILE Two years later, in 1975, the police were on the alert for yet another panther, this one prowling the Tampines area after it was brought into Singapore illegally by an animal trader and escaped. The female cat was eventually captured in Tanjong Rhu. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Public healthcare institutions to record all Kpod cases, confiscate vapes: MOH, HSA Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat 'PANTHER CAPTURED', the headline screamed on the front page on July 4, 1975. '24-day reign of terror ends with three shots from tranquilliser gun'. The panther had been spotted in the fuel tank of a ship under construction in Tanjong Rhu. It was captured by zoo officials while shipyard workers stood by to gawp at the drama. From prowling panthers to rampaging boars, sightings of animals on the loose have long made headlines, underscoring the tension between urban development and natural habitats. A dive into The Straits Times' archives reveals a much wilder Singapore in the past, when tigers were a terror. By the mid-19th century, Singapore had gained a grim reputation for tiger attacks. Historian C.M. Turnbull wrote in A History Of Modern Singapore 1819-2005 that tigers were said to carry off a victim a day. A report on Dec 11, 1855, which chronicled the deaths of an agricultural labourer and a coolie, lamented: 'How often are we compelled to record such verdicts. It reflects the greatest shame upon the Supreme Government that effectual means are not employed to relieve our dense jungles of ferocious Tigers.' Tiger hunting became common, with rewards offered for kills. In 1864, a reader named Carnie wrote in, describing how he had shot a tigress during an expedition before 'she could make another spring'. The menace extended to islands such as Pulau Ubin where a tiger killed two men in 1874. Those who killed tigers would sometimes take the carcasses to police stations to claim rewards, as Changi residents Ali and Mahomed did in 1898, when they hauled a dead tiger to the Rochore Police Station. The last reported shooting of a wild tiger in Singapore was in Choa Chu Kang in October 1930. But even in 1951, a tiger hunt was mounted near the Causeway after a sighting. 'It is believed that recent heavy RAF (the British Royal Air Force) bombing in south Johor may have driven the tiger out of the jungle and over the Causeway,' The Straits Times reported. Today, as the city becomes more built-up, animal sightings are rising again, though they are not in the league of tigers and panthers. In March 2025, The Straits Times reported a 55 per cent increase in calls to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society between 2019 and 2024. The hotline received 15,203 calls in 2024 – up from 9,800 in 2019 – and now deals with an average of 10 cases a day. Among the animals rescued: mynahs, pigeons, pythons, civets, monitor lizards and wild boars. A wild boar spotted in Lorong Halus on Jan 12, 2021. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO Straits Times assistant news editor Audrey Tan, 34 , who oversees environmental coverage, says Singapore now has experts with deep knowledge about certain wildlife species. Studies have also been done on why some animals, such as critically endangered pangolins, venture into urban areas. All this has made coverage about wildlife more nuanced, she says. Nature provides many benefits to urban dwellers, from the cooling effect of trees to the rest offered by parks and nature reserves, and reporting has evolved to highlight these intangible aspects, she adds. Singapore is also slowly embracing nature in its land use plans – which is only a good thing. From corals to armoured pangolins, otters to once-extinct hornbills, the natural world is an inescapable part of Singapore's urban cityscape, down to people's own backyards.

‘We had to maintain our lead without compromising editorial integrity'
‘We had to maintain our lead without compromising editorial integrity'

Straits Times

time22 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

‘We had to maintain our lead without compromising editorial integrity'

Mr Tham Khai Wor, who was inducted into the Singapore Media Industry Hall of Fame in 2022, says advertising can be as relevant as news, depending on the readers' needs. Tham Khai Wor, 81 Portrait Mr Tham Khai Wor was best known as the chief salesman to his marketing colleagues at Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). His career with the group started in 1972 at Times Printers Sdn Bhd where he was regional marketing manager. One of his memorable achievements was the contract to produce the Asian editions of Time magazine and later Fortune in Singapore, ahead of the US editions being printed in New York. The facsimile was relayed to Times Printers from the US via satellite transmission. It was the first major contract of its kind for the company. Of his many memories at SPH until he left in 2005, Mr Tham cites the record $800 million in advertising revenue generated – largely from print – in financial year 2000. According to the company's annual report, it pushed the group's turnover to more than $1 billion for the first time in its history. For his influence in shaping the media advertising landscape, Mr Tham, now 81, won many Asian industry awards and was inducted into the Singapore Media Industry Hall of Fame in 2022. Recollections 'The Straits Times in the last 180 years has been and continues to be resilient and relevant to Singapore. This was true right from the beginning. In 1845, its Page 1 was filled with advertisements about goods that arrived in Singapore and had to be sold after months at sea. It shows that even then, we realised how important advertisements were. Advertising can be as relevant as news, depending on the readers' needs. The highest cost for any media will be production, and advertising incomes will make the difference. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Public healthcare institutions to record all Kpod cases, confiscate vapes: MOH, HSA Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat In 1984, I was transferred from Times Printers to head marketing at The Straits Times Press (1975) Ltd in view of the changing media scene. The other media company, Singapore News and Publications , had launched the English newspaper, Singapore Monitor, in 1982. We had to maintain our lead, be advertiser-friendly and innovative without compromising our integrity. The Straits Times remained effective – editorial got the eyeballs and advertising served consumer needs. During my time, television broadcast competition was also relentless. One of the things we did was to launch the fictitious X.O. Beer campaign to prove that advertisements do not need sound or movement to be effective, especially for fast-moving consumer products. For this, we strategised and challenged advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather to produce a powerful campaign. A series of colour advertisements were run from March 22 to 31, 1993, in three of SPH's papers – The Straits Times, Business Times and Lianhe Zaobao. That got beer marketeers scurrying around Singapore looking for the potential newcomer. However, the final advertisement on April 1 dropped the bombshell: that X.O. Beer did not exist. April Fool! By then, however, the advertisements had attracted considerable interest in the beer, demonstrating that creative newspaper advertisements had as much impact as TV commercials. It won a major advertising award around the world and was recorded in marketing case studies. We were creative with ads, bringing in more colour and odd-shaped advertisements, while editors ensured that the paper stayed editorially relevant. Scented inks were introduced for different occasions. For example, our newspaper advertisements promoting mandarin oranges during Chinese New Year had orange-scented ink, while hand soap advertisements had their own scent imprinted. Next came the advent of digital media. But for The Straits Times to join the bandwagon and go digital was accelerating its own downfall. You don't sleep with the enemy, and secondly, we have our strengths. Singapore is unique in the world, with high population density, 95 per cent living in high-rise and 95 per cent literacy. That makes delivering The Straits Times print copy easy.'

Masters of wit caught in a storm of change
Masters of wit caught in a storm of change

Straits Times

time23 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Masters of wit caught in a storm of change

Life's Like This! by Straits Times senior executive artist Lee Chee Chew and The House Of Lim by then Straits Times artist Cheah Sin Ann were among the comics published in The Sunday Times on Nov 20, 1994. Their take on life is different – sharper, more biting. Through artful strokes, cartoonists illuminate, entertain and provoke, often leaving a lasting impression after the ink dries or the screen fades. Their licence to wield humour like a knife for social or political commentary has earned them fans and critics. Senior executive artist Lee Chee Chew, 58 , knows this well. His long-running strip, Chew On It! , which began as Life's Like This! in 1991, has chronicled everyday idiosyncrasies for three decades. 'I'm partial to doodling about things that I find exasperating, for example, littering and people who cycle on pedestrian walkways,' he says. A cartoon on job loss (top left) caused by artificial intelligence from senior executive artist Lee Chee Chew. PHOTO: ST FILE But poking fun, even at mundane issues, has never been an easy business. Mr Lee recalls a 1994 cartoon satirising a television advertisement that claimed better colour quality than a rival's. His comic character quipped: 'If I can already see their more vibrant colour difference in my set here, why should I still go and buy theirs?' The TV company didn't find it funny. Cartoons have been a part of Singapore's media landscape since the late 19th century. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Public healthcare institutions to record all Kpod cases, confiscate vapes: MOH, HSA Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat One of the earliest known satirical publications, The Straits Produce, was published in 1868 and modelled on Britain's Punch magazine. Printed by the Straits Times Press, it skewered colonial society and politics, but ceased publication in the 1930s. The Straits Times itself started featuring cartoons and caricatures in the 1930s, when the paper was under editor George William Seabridge. During his editorship from 1928 to 1942, Seabridge also increased the number of pages and introduced photographs, creating a visually more appealing product. From around 1953, special pages in the Sunday edition of The Straits Times were devoted to syndicated comics . These early strips included The Cisco Kid, 'your Wild West favourite', the adventures of Tarzan, the misadventures of Blondie and her husband Dagwood, and Peanuts featuring Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Over time, these comics adapted to the changing world. Blondie, for instance, evolved from a carefree flapper girl to a middle-class housewife who started a catering business. In the 1990s and early 2000s, syndicated strips like Calvin And Hobbes, Garfield, and Baby Blues struck a chord with readers. Writer and researcher C.T. Lim, 53, who has studied the history of cartooning in Singapore, notes that when the paper had more space, it tended to run serialised adventure comic strips like Tarzan. When space shrunk, gag-oriented strips such as Garfield became the norm. Alongside syndicated cartoons, editorial cartoons by the paper's artists began to appear in the late 1950s, often taking sharp aim at political or social issues. In an opinion piece in 2015 for The Straits Times, American journalist Tom Plate spoke about the editorial cartoonist's 'crazy mind that could twist a lance into your brain to make a point that you knew in your heart was true'. As he explained in the article headlined 'Cartoonists – the 'mad men' of journalism': 'At their lampooning best, which is when they are at their meanest, they hardly ever show any mercy – only respect for the truth... even if it is the truth as they see it.' Political humour After the Japanese Occupation in 1945, local cartoonists picked up their pens to push for political change and challenge colonial authority. Researcher Mr Lim describes the late 1950s as The Straits Times' most vibrant era for political cartooning, driven by intense public debate over decolonisation and independence. This climate encouraged cartoons that critiqued political leaders and social issues. A key figure then was cartoonist Tan Huay Peng, known for his sharp social commentary. Mr Lim highlights a May 2, 1959, cartoon by Mr Tan that used boxing imagery to represent the fierce election campaigning that year. A cartoon on May 2, 1959, by Mr Tan Huay Peng on the fierce election campaigning that year. PHOTO: ST FILE In an online article 'The history of comics and cartoons in Singapore and Malaysia', Mr Lim notes that the British in colonial Singapore allowed and encouraged a certain amount of freedom of speech that was part of the Western democratic tradition. 'They wanted to ensure those who inherit their colonies were English-educated and friendly to their economic and strategic interests,' he writes. But from 1961, when Singapore was self-governing but not yet independent, political cartoons became rare. Mr Lim attributes this to three factors: the tense political climate; a view among senior leaders from the People's Action Party that The Straits Times was too critical of it, despite the paper's favourable stance towards the party ; and the nature of political cartoons being satirical. 'For the PAP, politics was not a matter of a game or a sport as portrayed in political cartoons. It was a matter of life and death, especially during the volatile political climate of that period,' says Mr Lim. Discussions to bring back political humour resumed in the late 1970s, with group editor Peter H.L. Lim viewing political satire as a sign of Singapore's growing political maturity, Mr C.T. Lim says in another article, 'Singapore political cartooning', for the Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science. An example was a series of cartoons on the lighter side of the 1979 by-elections by Straits Times cartoonist Shamsuddin H. Akib titled 'Sham's election smile' . In one strip, an old woman tells a child how she wishes every day were campaigning day so that strangers would come and see her and make her feel important. Former Straits Times cartoonist Shamsuddin H. Akib's work on Feb 6, 1979. PHOTO: ST FILE However, in 1981, the unexpected victory of opposition candidate J.B. Jeyaretnam in the Anson by-election led to criticism of The Straits Times' election coverage. Political cartoonists again had to retreat, says Mr C.T. Lim. By the 1990s, there was a gradual loosening of editorial boundaries. Mr C.T. Lim observes that more space for editorial cartoons returned when Mr Goh Chok Tong became prime minister in 1990. Indeed, in 1991, The Straits Times hired six Filipino artists, three of them political cartoonists. Their target was often everyday issues and international affairs, which they depicted in cartoons and op-ed illustrations. Cartoonist Miel joined The Straits Times in 1992 and one of his first cartoons was on the changeover of prime ministers within two months in Japan, drawn as an origami. It won him an in-house annual award. 'We were allowed to have our opinion, but there was a discussion and we would work towards a consensus,' he says about how editorial cartoons were developed. 'There was no outright 'no you cannot do it' but we would work towards what could be easily digested.' Retired cartoonist Miel's origami on the changeover of Japan's prime ministers was published on July 7, 1994. PHOTO: ST FILE Mr Miel, 61, who retired from the paper in 2025, adds: 'The role that we played was to make it easy for people to understand the changes taking place, the policies.' Senior executive artist Manuel A. Francisco, 55, who joined the paper in 2007, says restrictions often 'force you to think out of the box and to be more creative'. 'It has been easier to do economic and social issues, but for political and religious issues, we have to be careful,' he says. As to how he comes up with the visuals, he says that symbolic images pop up in his head as he reads a story he has to illustrate . For instance, going through an article about corruption, an alligator in a suit came to mind. In an environment where political cartooning had boundaries, comic strips like 'The House Of Lim' offered another form of commentary. The daily strip by Cheah Sin Ann ran for eight years straddling the 1980s and 1990s. It featured a relatable Singaporean family spanning three generations and its appeal lay not just in the familiar characters but also how he would build up a situation only to end with an unexpected punchline. A report on June 15, 1991, on a book containing The House Of Lim comics. PHOTO: ST FILE Heyday over? The rise of digital media has led to declining newspaper revenues globally, resulting in fewer opportunities for editorial cartoonists and the disappearance of many syndicated comic strips from print. According to a 2012 study by The Herb Block Foundation, the number of full-time editorial cartoonists in American newspapers dropped from about 2,000 at the start of the 20th century to over 250 by 2000, and to fewer than 20 in locally owned outlets by 2023. American cartoonist Rob Tornoe, writing in Editor & Publisher magazine, noted that in 2022, Australia's two major media companies – News Corp Australia and Nine Entertainment – axed all comic strips from their publications. McClatchy, a US media group, dropped editorial cartoons in 2021, citing changing reader preferences. Cartoonist Lee says cartoons lose some of their impact on a smartphone screen compared with the large canvas of a printed newspaper page. He adds that the proliferation of digital content – from webtoons to manga – creates fierce competition for attention. 'There are so many things grabbing every reader's attention on their devices,' he says. Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the creative space with its ability to generate images. But artists remain sceptical of its ability to match human insights or wit. Straits Times art editor Lee Hup Kheng, 62, says AI can imitate visual styles and churn out cartoon-like images and animations, but falls short of crafting original, personal cartoons that capture an artist's voice, humour and life experiences. 'In editorial cartooning, the real magic comes from raw feelings like anger, frustration, happiness – real human emotions that machines just don't have,' he says. 'A fellow cartoonist once told me, 'AI lacks soul'. That's the case. For now.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store