SMRT temporarily closes Novena Station: Smoke emanates from platform

Update: The Singapore Civil Defence Force has attended to the incident at the Novena Station and determined that the source of the white smoke to be from the motor of an Air Handling Unit (AHU) inside a room at the concourse level.

SMRT has since isolated the AHU system to facilitate further investigation and resume service at the station.

SINGAPORE: In an unexpected turn of events on Friday, SMRT announced the temporary closure of the Novena MRT station along the North-East Line following an incident that raised safety concerns.

At 5:49 PM, in a post on their official X account, SMRT informed the public that all train services would bypass Novena station in both directions until further notice.

Emphasizing that the measure was a necessary precaution, the statement read, “We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.”

[NSL]: Due to an incident, Novena station is closed. All trains will not stop at Novena station in both directions. Free regular bus service is available between Newton and Toa Payoh station. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.

— SMRT Corporation (@SMRT_Singapore) October 27, 2023

SMRT has implemented free regular bus services between Newton and Toa Payoh stations.

The seriousness of the situation was highlighted by a commuter’s Facebook post, urging individuals at Novena MRT Station to steer clear of the area. The post by Adrian Choo warned, “If you guys are at Novena MRT Station now, please avoid it. There’s smoke (smells of burnt rubber) emanating from the tunnels, and an evacuation message is being announced.”

Accompanying the post was a video showing smoke billowing out from the train platform, creating a sense of urgency and concern amongst netizens.