Fire at Tangs

From Today News
Shopping goes on despite Tangs fireMonday • December 18, 2006
Tan Hui Leng

CHRISTMAS shoppers along Orchard Road were abuzz with excitement yesterday evening when a small fire hit part of Tangs Department Store's Chinese roof structure.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that they received a call at 7.45pm and arrived at the building at 7.51pm.

Two fire engines put out the fire in eight minutes. There were no injuries.

Although an announcement was made about the fire, no official evacuation of shoppers was carried out.

"Although the store was on standby to evacuate shoppers, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force advised that there was no need to do so as the fire was under control very quickly," said a Tangs spokesperson. "We would have evacuated the store immediately if told to."

Even so, shoppers streamed out of the store in an orderly fashion, according to MediaCorp News Hotline caller Lou Tian Hong, who was across the road at the time."There was no panic," said the civil servant, who was part of a crowd who gathered to watch the smoky scene outside Orchard MRT station.

"When the fire was doused, in quick fashion, everyone clapped."Indeed, it was business as usual last night after the fire when Today visited the store. Although the front of the building was cordoned off, shoppers continued their holiday spending within.

"I came in from the side entrance facing Scotts Road and didn't notice the cordon at all," said 42-year-old housewife Iris Tay. "I wouldn't even have known about the fire if I hadn't been told about it."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation but the Tangs spokesperson said it was unlikely to have been caused by the store's Christmas decorations, as the lights continued to work during the fire.

No wonder shopping is the nation number one pass time!

But I question why Tangs did not evacuate the buliding between 7.45pm and 7.51pm. ( I am doubtful of the timing too! 6 min to get from the nearest station to orchard?)