SINGAPORE - Electrician Muthurama was preparing to leave for work on Monday morning when someone banged on his door in a Geylang shophouse, shouting: “Fire, fire, fire!”

Only then did the foreign worker, who goes by one name, realise that the unit next to his was ablaze.

Mr Muthurama, together with five other foreign workers, then ran down from their third-storey unit.

“It was chaotic, everyone was rushing out. I saw the fire raging in the unit next to mine but I didn’t know if anyone was inside,” said the 45-year-old, who has been staying there for 1½ years.

He said that the police and firefighters arrived less than five minutes after he and his roommates rushed out.

“Then I saw the fire spread to my home. My passport, valuables and other documents are still inside. I just want to go upstairs and see what is left and if I can salvage anything,” he said.

“I’ve informed my company about the fire and my boss said he will try to check where I can stay tonight. I am very sad but I have no choice.”

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the fire at about 7.30am.

When it arrived at 61, Lorong 27 Geylang, the fire was raging on the third floor of the shophouse. The blaze had burned through the roof and was spreading to the adjacent unit through the rooftop.

When ST arrived at the scene at 9.30am, there were at least four fire engines, seven police cars and about 15 foreign workers sitting on a nearby grass patch.

Indian national Chinnakkannu Venkatesh, 35, who stays six units away from the gutted unit, told ST that he was sleeping when the fire broke out.

Awoken by the commotion, he hurried down the stairs with his roommate after he heard people calling for those in the building to evacuate.

“I saw sparks coming out of the burning unit and I was scared that the fire would spread to my room,” said the lorry driver, who added that he had been staying in his unit for five months.

“This is the first time a fire has happened here. The rooftop (of the unit on fire) started to collapse and I heard an explosion as the glass window shattered.”

The fire was put out within an hour and the SCDF said there were no reported injuries – which Mr Venkatesh was relieved to hear.

“Everyone looked very worried and lost but luckily, no one was hurt,” he said.

A resident, who wanted to be known only as Ms H.C. Tok, said the police knocked down her back door.

The customer service officer, who lives on the second floor of the affected shophouse with her 81-year-old father, said this is the first time a fire has broken out in the building. She has lived in the unit her entire life.

“I hope my place is okay. SCDF has advised us not to stay in our unit tonight,” added Ms Tok, 45. “All my valuables are still in my place.”

After the fire, she found a leaking ceiling in one of her rooms. She is now staying over at her brother’s home.

SCDF said a total of 12 emergency vehicles and 50 firefighters were deployed on-site. At the height of the firefighting operation, four water jets were used to bring the flames under control.

About 30 occupants from neighbouring shophouses were evacuated. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

ST has contacted the Building and Construction Authority and the Ministry of Manpower for more details.