Elderly man warded after concrete ceiling in Yishun flat falls on him
While an elderly man was in the bathroom of his Yishun flat, the concrete ceiling suddenly gave way and fell on his head, causing him to wind up in hospital.
Following the incident, the authorities will help pay for the repair works, said Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.
Source: Siti Nurhashikin on Facebook
Concrete ceiling ‘fell directly’ onto man in Yishun flat
In a Facebook post on Thursday (19 June), a woman named Siti Nurhashikin said the collapse happened when her 65-year-old father was in the toilet at 4.30am that morning.
He was getting ready for morning prayers and sitting on the toilet bowl when the concrete ceiling “fell directly” onto him, she said.
A photo she shared showed large chunks of concrete lying on her bathroom floor, with several blood droplets on them.
Source: Siti Nurhashikin on Facebook
Man suffers head, shoulder & knee injuries after Yishun ceiling collapse
Due to the impact, Ms Siti’s father suffered injuries to his head, shoulder, and knees, she said.
His head, in particular, required more than 10 stitches.
Source: Siti Nurhashikin on Facebook
He is now warded in hospital for observation and is also on blood-thinning medication, she stated, adding:
We never thought something like this could happen.
No recent renovation done to flat
Ms Siti said the incident was “very traumatic” for her father and worrying for her family.
She said the flat had undergone the Home Improvement Programme in 2018, with no recent renovation done by her father or their upstairs neighbours.
She shared the story to warn others with elderly parents in older flats to “check on their house condition”.
The family is now waiting for follow-up action after reporting the incident to the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and the police.
Shanmugam visits Yishun flat
In a Facebook post on Friday (20 June) night, Mr Shanmugam, who is also MP for the Chong Pang division of Nee Soon GRC, said he had visited the flat, which is in Block 127 Yishun Street 11.
Source: K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook
“Spalling concrete” had injured the flat’s owner, he added, referring to concrete that breaks off from a surface due to numerous reasons such as moisture build-up or corrosion of the metal reinforcement within.
The minister has spoken to the homeowner’s wife and told her that they will receive assistance, “including on payment for the repair works”.
Source: K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook
Volunteers are liaising with HDB and the town council on the matter, he noted.
In a comment under his post, Ms Siti thanked the minister for his help.
Source: Facebook
HDB will pay 50% of repair costs
In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia (CNA), HDB said its officers conducted “an immediate investigation” in the flat that same afternoon after being notified.
An inspection found “loose spalling concrete” on the master bedroom bathroom floor and “slight bulging of concrete” in the kitchen bathroom ceiling.
There is “no sign of the imminent spalling of concrete” in the kitchen bathroom ceiling, but it has instructed its contractor to remove the bulging concrete anyway next Monday “for the residents’ peace of mind and safety”.
The repairs are being conducted under the Goodwill Repair Assistance scheme, where HDB pays 50% of the repair cost.
HDB is also “coordinating with the local grassroots to render financial assistance for the cost of the repair works”, it added.
Also read: False Ceiling Over Kids’ Play Area Collapses In S’pore Apartment, Workers Fix Damage
False Ceiling Over Kids’ Play Area Collapses In S’pore Apartment, Workers Fix Damage
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Featured image adapted from Siti Nurhashikin on Facebook and K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook.
