200 evacuated after fire breaks out at Shaw Centre eatery
SCDF says no reported injuries, fire involved electrical circuit box
A fire broke out at La Taperia, a Spanish restaurant under the Les Amis Group, at Shaw Centre in Orchard yesterday - the first day of eateries being allowed to have bigger groups of vaccinated diners.
A spokesman for the group said that for the safety of guests and staff, all of its eateries at Shaw Centre were closed yesterday, until investigations were fully conducted.
The spokesman said yesterday: "We have closed off all new reservations for today and are contacting all affected customers.
"We will do our best to offer them alternatives at our other concepts outside of Shaw Centre, if appropriate."
La Taperia was nearly fully booked for lunch, the spokesman added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at 1 Scotts Road around 10.15am.
The fire, which involved an electrical circuit box, was extinguished by a water sprinkler system and by the SCDF using one water jet.
SELF-EVACUATED
About 200 people self-evacuated from the premises before the SCDF arrived. There were no reported injuries, SCDF added.
When The Straits Times visited Shaw Centre around noon yesterday, a burning smell hung in the air.
The entrance to the retail side of the building was cordoned off, and shoppers were turned away by building staff and told to enter via another entrance.
Water was seen dripping from the ceiling on the ground level.
A staff member at a nearby restaurant not related to the Les Amis Group said he and his colleagues were preparing to open for the day when security officers informed them of the fire and told them to evacuate.
The staff member, who declined to be named, added: "We didn't see any smoke at first, but then there was thick heavy smoke on the second floor as we walked down the stairs.
"There wasn't really panic. When we got outside, there were a lot of people standing around waiting."
Yesterday marked the first day that fully vaccinated diners could eat at restaurants and cafes in groups of up to five, regardless of whether they are from the same household.
Also under the Les Amis Group are the three-Michelin-starred Les Amis Restaurant and Aoki which serves Japanese cuisine, both on the first storey of Shaw Centre, as well as Tarte by Cheryl Koh on the second storey and tendon eatery Tenjin one level above.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now