The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rescued a maid who was trapped in a flat fully engulfed in flames, a report on the Citizen Journalism website STOMP said.

A statement from the SCDF to STOMP confirmed that the blaze occurred at Block 108 Jalan Rajah at about 1 am in the morning on Saturday (Nov 7).

The SCDF spokesman told the citizen journalism website that firefighters responded within 6 minutes to a 1.09 am call reporting the fire.

In total, a fire engine, 2 Red Rhino vehicles, a support appliance and two ambulances were deployed to the area.

Fire crew who arrived at the scene found the flat fully engulfed in flames and the maid trapped inside the unit.

Cutting and breaking tools were used to open the iron gate to the flat and the maid was subsequently rescued and brought to safety. She was then sent to the Singapore General Hospital for observation.

The blaze was brought under control in ten minute, tough by then the flat had suffered extensive fire damage. There was no mention of what were the suspected causes of the fire.

A Chinese woman who lives in the unit directly above the fire was also brought to the Singapore General Hospital for observation.

Residents on the fourth and upper floors of the block were also evacuated by Police as a safety precaution.

A photo submitted by a STOMP reader, showed that smoke from the blaze could be seen from some distance away In the photo, a column of black smoke can be clearly seen rising from a block of flats in the distance.