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An illustration shows the inside of a potential submerged floating tunnel that would be used to cross a fjord in Norway.P hoto by Norwegian Public Roads Administration P
15 Nov 2024

Tunnel fire in Singapore effectively extinguished by sprinklers

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Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=525213A car fire broke out in the KPE tunnel in Singapore on November 2, triggering the activation of the tunnel’s water sprinkler system. This turned out to extinguish the tunnel fire effectively.  

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) reported receiving an alert about the fire at approximately 9 p.m. The incident occurred along the expressway towards the TPE, after the Bartley Road East exit, according to TNP Singapore. 

The fire originated in the car’s engine compartment and was extinguished by the tunnel’s water mist system before firefighters arrived at the scene. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

As reported by Must.Share.News.com,  a large cloud of water mist surrounded the area where the fire took place. Vehicles could be seen driving slowly through the single open lane on the right. A video on Facebook showed two lanes in the tunnel blocked off, with the fire alarm sounding. 

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) issued an X post at 8:58 p.m., announcing the closure of the KPE after the Airport Road entrance due to the fire. Less than 15 minutes later, another post advised motorists to avoid the tunnel’s second and third lanes.

Allready at 9:20 p.m., a Facebook video showed vehicles moving slowly in the tunnel's right-most lane as SCDF personnel attended to the car, with sprinklers continuing to operate throughout the tunnel.

The KPE tunnel, a 9km-long expressway, is equipped with fire safety features, including overhead water sprinklers and a ventilation system designed to combat fires and remove smoke. Fire service cabinets are positioned every 50 meters along the left-most lane, with emergency phones available every 100 meters in alternate cabinets.

A similar incident occurred in the KPE tunnel on July 23, involving another car engine fire. In that case, the sprinklers were activated, and the The Singapore Civil Defence Force extinguished the fire using a water jet.

 

Photo Credits: The cover image is not from the KPE tunnel, but from a proposed floating tunnel project in Norway. Illustration by Norwegian Public Roads Administration. 

The left image shows the The Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) under construction in 2005. Wikipedia Commons License. 

Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=525213