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SINGAPORE - A Comfort Delgro taxi caught fire in a Bedok car park on Sunday evening, with the careless burning of incense paper suspected to be the culprit.
The incident, which took place at the open-air car park below Block 507 of Bedok North Avenue 3, resulted in several explosions which alarmed residents.
The cabby is understood to be a 40-year-old Chinese man, Shin Min Daily News said, who had parked his taxi there to have a meal with his family nearby.
According to an eyewitness account on citizen journalism website Stomp, the fire was started by incense paper burning under the boot of the cab. He said he first noticed smoke and saw a small fire, which he tried to extinguish with some water he was carrying.
However the flames grew bigger and within three minutes had engulfed the rear section of the taxi.
The fiery heat wrecked the cab's paintwork and shattered the rear window, sending shards of debris onto the floor, Shin Min reported. The rear tyres were also burnt, and holes could be seen in the boot.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived within six minutes, dispatching a fire engine, a red rhino light vehicle, and two bikes to the scene. The fire was promptly put out.
Residents told the Chinese daily that perhaps someone had earlier burnt incense paper on the pavement. Mr Feng, a 46-year-old retiree, said that as the carpark lot was just 20 cm away from the pavement, the wind could have blown the incense papers underneath the taxi, starting the fire.
The taxi driver declined to comment on the incident, but said he did not notice anything unusual when he reversed his cab into the lot.
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