SMRT resolves smoke incident, no injuries reported
Novena MRT station was temporarily closed on Friday evening after smoke filled the underground station due to an air-conditioning unit malfunction. The closure occurred during the evening peak hours, causing trains along the North-South Line to skip the station for about two hours.
A video posted on Facebook around 5.45pm showed smoke trailing from the platform area towards the gantries. SMRT confirmed the closure at 5.49pm, citing an “incident,” though no further details were initially provided. By 7.29pm, the station had reopened to passengers.
In response to the disruption, SMRT provided free bus services between Newton and Toa Payoh stations, which continued even after the station reopened.
Several Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) vehicles were seen at the scene. SCDF reported that SMRT had alerted them about “white smoke” and a burning smell at around 5.30pm. Upon investigation, it was determined that the source of the smoke was an air handling unit motor located in a room at the concourse level. Thankfully, no injuries occurred during the incident.
