SINGAPORE — A manhole outside a multi-storey car park at Bukit Batok West blew up on Tuesday (Aug 24) morning, scattering bricks around the area.

Responding to questions from TODAY, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it received a call about a flash fire from the manhole at Block 439 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 at about 9.10am.

“Upon SCDF’s arrival, there was no fire and no reported injury,” it said in its statement.

Based on early investigations, the incident was “accidental in nature” and investigations are under way, it added.

A flash fire happens when combustible materials such as gas or liquid aerosol are ignited. The fire spreads quickly and lasts a short period. 

A 25-second video captured by a car’s in-vehicle camera, which made its rounds on social media on Tuesday, showed a flash of white light near the exit of the car park.

Immediately after that, a small ball of fire can be seen, scattering the surrounding pieces of the road. 

There was no one visible in the video. While one other car could be seen, it was a distance from the fire and did not appear to be affected.

In a Facebook post, Dr Amy Khor, Member of Parliament for the Hong Kah North ward, where the manhole is located, said that the incident had "understandably shaken residents". 

Dr Khor, who is also Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment as well as the Ministry of Transport, added that it was a telecommunications company’s manhole and she visited the site to find out more about the incident.

Representatives from other agencies, including fibre infrastructure provider NetLink Trust, electricity company SP, national water agency PUB, the Housing and Development Board and the town council were also on site to investigate the incident and offer help, she said.

"It is fortunate that no one was hurt from the incident. I have asked the agencies in charge of the various manholes to check and ensure safety," she added.

The Chua Chu Kang Town Council, which oversees the area, told TODAY that a multi-agency investigation into the cause of the incident was under way. 

In the meantime, it has cordoned off the affected lane of the car park entrance for investigations. It advised residents to be careful and patient when using the second lane of entry into the car park.

Reinstatement work for the area will start once it is safe and viable to do so, the town council added.