Man Installs Used AC in His Home, Unit Explodes & Causes Fire at Singapore Flat

A used air-conditioning unit exploded on Thursday (27 April 2023) at a flat in Bukit Merah, Singapore and injures several people, with two children living next door having to be sent to the hospital for treatment.

As reported by Shin Min Daily News, the aircond unit was installed by the flat resident inside his home last year after it was left behind by one of his neighbours.

The 34-year-old man named Chen said that he lives in the flat with his wife, 8-year-old son and 19-month-old daughter. He installed the aircond because his daughter has sensitive skin and develops rashes if the temperature is too warm.

Chen, who works as a driver, shared,

“When a neighbour moved away, I found that they had left behind an aircond unit. So I brought it home to install… I never once thought that it would explode like that,”

The explosion happened at around 3.40pm at the rental flat on Thursday. Chen’s wife and children were inside the flat but they managed to flee moments earlier after seeing white smoke coming out of the aircond.

Meanwhile, Chen’s next-door neighbour Rafid said that he heard weird noises from the aircond unit when he left his house and rushed back to his home when the unit exploded and caused a fire.

During that time, his 77-year-old mother and two grandsons were at home. Thankfully, he managed to help his family escape the flat, but his 14-year-old and 2-year-old grandsons were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) then rushed to the scene and managed to put out the fire. The authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.

So, what do you guys think of the whole incident? Share your thoughts with us in the comments

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