A SOUTH-BOUND train carrying about 200 passengers was evacuated at Toa Payoh MRT Station on Thursday after smoke was seen in one of the carriages.
An SMRT spokesman said that smoke was detected coming from an air-conditioning unit at the rear of the train at about 1.25pm.
The train was removed from service and regular operations resumed in about seven minutes. No one was injured.
Polytechnic student Benjamin Chua, who was passing by the station at the basement, told AsiaOne: "There smoke smelled like pesticide for fumigation. Some people were running, some walking. The people on the escalators were quite orderly but it was chaotic at the staircases as people rushed up the stairs.
Benjamin took some pictures (as shown below) and sent to Stomp.
He said: "The control office kept announcing over the PA system telling people to evacuate the train and their staff were scrambling everywhere. People coming into the station didn't know what was happening, so they stood and looked. They also turned off the air con so it was quite stuffy.
Many of the evacuees went out of the station to take buses while some remained behind for the next train after the malfunctioned train was moved away, Benjamin told AsiaOne.
Many commuters rushed out while those entering the station didn't know what had happened.
Smoke could be seen at the area between the two yellow columns, said Benjamin.
