Question:
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many heavy vehicles caught fire annually over the past five years; (b) what are the typical causes for such heavy vehicle fires; and (c) whether the causes of the recent heavy vehicle fires in September 2023 have similarities.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:
1. The table below shows the annual number of fires involving heavy vehicles, defined as trucks, trailer trucks, prime movers, and construction vehicles, over the past five years. The lower number of fires involving heavy vehicles in 2020 and 2021 could be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Year |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (till June) |
| Number of Fires Involving Heavy Vehicles |
20 |
30 |
10 |
13 |
28 |
15 |
2. Heavy vehicle fires are typically caused by excessive frictional heat from wheel assemblies (e.g. due to worn brake pads), overheating of vehicle components, or issues of electrical origin.
3. In early September 2023, there were three unrelated fires involving heavy vehicles that took place at West Coast Highway, Killiney Road and Kranji Expressway. As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to share the cause of these fires at this point in time.
