Chasen calls for trading halt following news of Jurong warehouse fire

MAINBOARD-LISTED investment holding company Chasen Holdings called for a trading halt on Tuesday morning before the market opened, pending an announcement.

The move follows news reports of a blaze which engulfed a warehouse located at 18 Jalan Besut - which matches the company address listed on Chasen's website according to online searches by The Business Times.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on Monday night announced on its social media page that it responded to a fire at 18 Jalan Besut - which is located near Jurong River.

More than 50 occupants had self-evacuated from the premises prior to SCDF's arrival with no reported injuries, SCDF said.

The warehouse's zinc roof had collapsed due to the intense heat of the fire, trapping the seat of the fire underneath it and hindering firefighters' immediate access.

A total of 31 emergency vehicles and around 80 firefighters were deployed. In addition, seven water jets, two monitors and two unmanned firefighting machines were also used at the height of the fire-fighting operation.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon, SCDF said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire also involved the contents of the warehouse such as plywood, household electrical appliances and furniture, among others.

Prior to the trading halt, Chasen shares closed at 5.7 Singapore cents on Monday, down 0.8 cent or 12.3 per cent.