SINGAPORE, March 13 — A fire that broke out in a lift control panel at the ibis Singapore on Bencoolen hotel this morning prompted the evacuation of guests, though no injuries were reported.
According to The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire on the 16th floor of the hotel at about 9.55am.
SCDF said the blaze was extinguished using a fire extinguisher and confirmed that no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
When The Straits Times arrived at the hotel along Bencoolen Street at about noon, some guests had been evacuated and were seen seated near the nearby Stamford Arts Centre behind the property. At least one fire engine and two ambulances were stationed at the scene.
Janice Villamil, a hotel guest from the Philippines, said a fire alarm sounded earlier in the morning.
“Guests were told to gather at the lobby before being escorted to an open space in front of the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Waterloo Street to be assessed for injuries,” said Villamil, the vice-president of a tech firm who is in Singapore for a conference.
She later learnt from a hotel housekeeper that the fire had originated from a lift on the 16th floor.
A photograph Villamil shared with The Straits Times showed a lift control panel damaged by the fire, with surrounding sections of the wall and ceiling blackened by soot.
According to digital travel platform Agoda, the 16-storey ibis Singapore on Bencoolen hotel has 534 rooms.