Whenever there is danger brewing, our trusty men in blue will be there in a flash to make sure that no one gets hurt.
Last week, the police were alerted when someone spotted an air conditioner compressor dangling from one of the units of a Bedok flat.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Before the heavy equipment could fall and injure anyone, police cordoned off the area.
They later forcibly entered the apartment to facilitate the removal of the compressor.
On Thursday (21 Jul) at about 1pm, numerous police officers showed up at an HDB flat at Block 55 Chai Chee Drive.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Mr Cai, the 50-year-old owner of a nearby provision shop, said that police informed him not to use the backdoor of his store that afternoon.
That was when he learned that an aircon compressor was dangling from a unit on the 10th floor above.
Mr Cai recalled seeing police officers cordoning off a section behind the flat to prevent anyone from entering.
He believes this was to ensure the public’s safety in case the compressor was to fall.
Mr Cai shared that not many people actually pass by that area. However, it is unlikely that those who do would notice the compressor as it sits on a high floor.
A resident in the flat called Sapia told Shin Min Daily News that an elderly couple in their 70s lives in the affected unit.
However, they are rarely home, leading their neighbours to believe that they have another residence elsewhere.
Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak nearly three years ago, nobody has seen the couple.
On the day of the incident, Sapia said that a cleaner knocked on his door asking where the elderly couple was.
He believes it was the cleaner who informed authorities about the dangling aircon compressor, leading police to come and investigate.
Sapia also thinks that officers got a locksmith to open the door for them when they realised there was nobody in the unit.
When Shin Min Daily News reporters arrived at the flat, the dangling aircon compressor had already been removed.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
However, there were still police officers inside the 10th-floor unit.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
According to AsiaOne, after an amendment to the Police Force act in January, the police are legally empowered to make forced entry into any place in case of medical emergencies or to protect people from injury or death.
Under the Building Control Act, improper installation of air conditioners can result in a penalty of up to S$5,000 and/or up to six months’ jail.
Flat owners can also face a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or up to 12 months’ jail if their air conditioner fall due to lack of maintenance.
A heavy appliance like an air conditioner dangling precariously from a flat can be extremely dangerous to passers-by below.
Thankfully, the police arrived and dealt with the situation quickly before there could be any unfortunate accidents.
Perhaps it’s time to check our aircon compressors to make sure that they’re not about to fall off anytime soon.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Google Maps.
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