SINGAPORE, Dec 9 — A full-time national serviceman (NSF) from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) died yesterday (December 8) after he fell unconscious during a firefighting operation in Bukit Merah.

In a media release, SCDF said that it was alerted to a fire at Block 91 Henderson Road at about 11.10am.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire was raging inside a flat on the fourth floor of the public housing block and the corridor was heavily smoke-logged.

SCDF officers then entered the flat and "pushed through the smoke-logged unit” with two water jets to put out the fire.

During the operation, the serviceman fell unconscious in the kitchen area.

"His crew immediately brought him out of the unit and administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him,” SCDF said.

"An SCDF ambulance crew at the scene also used the automated external defibrillator on him and conveyed him to Singapore General Hospital.”

The serviceman, however, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

SCDF said that it and the NSF’s teammates are saddened by his death and extend their "deepest condolences” to his family.

"The NSF firefighter was part of the first-response crew for this fire incident and was bravely carrying out his mission of protecting and saving lives and property.”

It is providing assistance and support to his family during this "difficult time”, it added.

Investigations are ongoing.

Earlier in the day, SCDF said in a Facebook post at about 1pm that it had been alerted to the fire at Block 91 Henderson Road.

In an update on its Facebook page about an hour later, it said that a firefighter fell unconscious during the operation and had been taken to the hospital. ― TODAY