A fire broke out at the luxury Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Singapore today forcing the evacuation of around 500 hotel guests.
In TV footage, thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the hotel that is located close to the Orchard Road shopping district. The fire started from a kitchen stove and exhaust duct in a restaurant on the second floor of the hotel. Water sprinklers put out the fire before firefighters arrived.
According to the Singapore Civil Defense Force, the fire was put out quickly, and emergency responders said nobody was injured.
Guests were still checking in to the Singapore hotel around 2 hours as the smell of the fire lingered in the lobby. The fire likely caused an electrical short on the second floor, as it was in darkness.
“The smoke was really terrible … it got into my throat. I think it was quite thick,” said Nadiah Yayoh, 40, who works at a boutique in the hotel. “Usually we have fire drills and normal evacuations, as well as fire practice … This is a lesson learned not to take it lightly.”