Earlier this week, six people were stuck in a Jurong HDB lift with a dead body for 50 minutes, in what must have been a discomfiting experience.
It turns out that the lift stalled because it had exceeded its capacity, West Coast Town Council explained.
Source: Facebook
They apologised to the family for the ordeal.
During the incident on Tuesday (4 Oct), the group of six adults were seen in a viral Facebook post carrying a dead body into a lift at Block 760 Jurong West Street 74.
They were transporting a deceased family member down to the first level for the wake, West Coast Town Council told TODAY Online.
However, preliminary findings showed that carrying six adults plus the deceased caused the lift to be overloaded.
Its capacity limit is 545kg, the Town Council added.
Exceeding the capacity limit caused the lift to overshoot its landing at the ground level.
The difference between the levelling of the lift and its landing then triggered a safety mechanism, the Town Council said.
This safety mechanism kept the lift’s doors shut, trapping those who were inside.
Thankfully, the lift’s lights and fans were functioning normally, providing some ventilation to the men — though the OP said people were seen fanning at the gap to cool the air inside the lift.
When the incident occurred, the lift rescue team was activated immediately, the Town Council said.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told TODAY that they received a call for assistance at around 2.05pm.
Lift technicians were already at the scene and trying to open the lift doors when they arrived.
SCDF personnel stayed with the six trapped people and determined that there was no immediate medical emergency.
They also used hydraulic equipment to create a gap between the lift doors to improve ventilation.
Source: Facebook
The trapped people were finally freed at about 2.45pm when the lift doors were opened by the technicians.
One person was assessed for breathing difficulties, but they declined to be sent to the hospital.
As for the lift’s maintenance record, West Coast Town Council said all the lifts in the area are serviced monthly.
The affected lift was last serviced on 26 Sep, less than two weeks before the incident. That servicing certified that it was in working condition and fit for use.
No faults were detected in the lift over the past three months, the town council added, based on telemonitoring system records.
Following the incident, technicians also conducted a detailed inspection and put it back in use that same day.
Nevertheless, they apologised to the family concerned for the “unpleasant experience”.
The lift will be replaced in the second quarter of 2023, as part of estate improvements.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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