Smoke forces evacuation of SMRT train

(UPDATED: 8 August, 9.23am to add SMRT's statement)

Passengers in a SMRT Jurong-East bound train were evacuated at Kranji MRT station after parts of the train was filled with smoke on Tuesday evening.

A Singapore Polytechnic student, Sim Xuan Wei, was in one of the train carriages and was asked to alight at Kranji at around 6.20pm after a "fog or haze" filled the train.

"The whole train was in smoke, [but] there was no panic at all. Everybody very calmly alighted the train," she said, adding that the smoke smelt like gas.

The 19-year-old also said that none of the SMRT operators at Kranji MRT station made any announcements to explain the situation. No one was reportedly hurt in the incident.

When contacted, an SMRT spokesman said that around 6.10pm, a passenger aboard the southbound train had activated the emergency communications button after noticing white vapour emitting from one of the train cabins.

Passengers were then asked to alight at Kranji, after which the train was withdrawn from operations.

"Our preliminary investigation showed that the white vapour was caused by coolant gas that leaked from an air-condition unit. We are investigating the cause of the leak," said SMRT.

The incident happened hours after a light bulb at Outram Park MRT station went out shortly after noon, causing parts of the station to be covered in darkness temporarily, said SBS Transit, as quoted by Today.

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