SINGAPORE, Dec 8 — An east-bound train was cleared of passengers at Tanjong Pagar MRT station on Thursday afternoon after a commuter’s power bank began giving off smoke.

The Straits Times reported that a commuter who goes by the name Liu Xiaopang, posted on Xiaohongshu — a Chinese social media and lifestyle platform where users share reviews, photos and videos that often influence shopping trends — on December 6 that he saw thick smoke and detected an unusual smell coming from another passenger’s device.

According to Liu, there was no fire or explosion, but a fellow commuter immediately activated the train’s emergency button before stepping out of the cabin. 

SMRT staff then ushered everyone off the train and moved them to a replacement service that arrived within minutes. 

He added that the owner of the power bank apologised, and that those on board remained calm.

In a statement to media, SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said the Emergency Communication Button was triggered at about 2pm. 

Station staff located the smoking device and safely evacuated passengers. 

No injuries were reported.

Lam said the station’s exhaust system was switched on to disperse the smoke, which cleared shortly after. 

The affected train was later sent to the depot for inspection, and services continued without disruption.

In a separate incident in March, around 650 passengers were evacuated at Raffles Place station when a commuter’s power bank caught fire. 

Singapore Civil Defence Force data shows 13 power bank–related fires in 2024, compared with 10 in 2023, and similar figures of 11 in both 2021 and 2022.