Post by : Badri Ariffin

Passengers travelling on an MRT train were evacuated at Buangkok MRT station after a power bank inside a commuter's backpack reportedly emitted smoke on Wednesday, July 29.

Photos shared on social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Reddit showed a backpack and several personal belongings lying on the station platform, covered with white powder believed to be from a fire extinguisher. Images also showed officers from the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responding to the incident.

Commuters Noticed a Burning Smell During the Journey

According to a Xiaohongshu user who shared the incident at around 5.20pm, passengers noticed a burning smell while the train was travelling towards Buangkok MRT station.

The user claimed that once the train reached Buangkok station, all passengers were asked to leave the train after smoke was seen coming from a power bank inside a commuter's bag.

TransCom Officer Used Fire Extinguisher

A commuter, Chen Yongwen (transliteration), told Lianhe Zaobao that a TransCom police officer used a dry powder fire extinguisher to deal with the smoking backpack.

Chen said the smoke stopped shortly after the extinguisher was used. He also stated that a man, believed to be in his 30s, identified himself as the owner of the backpack.

According to Chen, officers asked the man whether the backpack contained a power bank, although he could not clearly hear the man's response.

Emergency Services Responded Quickly

When AsiaOne arrived at Buangkok MRT station at about 6.30pm, around 15 police and SCDF officers were present at the station.

By then, the backpack and other personal items had already been removed from the platform. Station staff were seen cleaning the white powder left behind by the fire extinguisher, while a burnt smell was still noticeable in the area.

Despite the incident, train services continued to operate normally.

SBS Transit Confirms No Injuries

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu said smoke was observed coming from a bag on the platform at Buangkok MRT station at about 5.06pm.

She said a TransCom police officer responded immediately, while MRT staff assisted commuters at the station. The SCDF was also activated and attended the incident.

Grace Wu confirmed that no injuries were reported and train services at Buangkok MRT station resumed within five minutes.

SCDF Investigating the Cause

The SCDF said it was alerted to the incident involving a smoking power bank at about 5.10pm.

According to the SCDF, the TransCom police officer had already managed the situation using a dry powder fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived.

The SCDF is investigating the cause of the incident.

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