Bomb Found At Condo Worksite Along Upper Bukit Timah Road
Though World War II ended 78 years ago, bombs from that time are still being found in Singapore.
The latest one to be found was a war relic that was uncovered at a worksite along Upper Bukit Timah Road.
To dispose of the bomb, part of the road will be closed on Tuesday (26 Sep).
Residents of the surrounding area have been told to evacuate their homes for at least 11 hours.
Bomb was found at Upper Bukit Timah condo worksite
In a Facebook post on Sunday (24 Sep), Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the presumed war relic was found at the construction site of the upcoming Myst condominium.
Source: Vivian Balakrishnan on Facebook
Dr Balakrishnan, who is an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, also said it has been deemed unsafe to move the bomb relic.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Thus, a controlled detonation of the bomb will be carried out on-site on Tuesday (26 Sep) between 8am and 7pm.
Part of Upper Bukit Timah Road to be closed due to bomb
For public safety, the police will impose a 200m-radius cordon around the war relic during these hours.
Thus, a portion of Upper Bukit Timah Road will be closed to all traffic in both directions from 11am to 7pm on that day.
The affected stretch is between Petir Road and Cashew Road.
In addition, the Bukit Panjang Flyover from Woodlands Road towards Upper Bukit Timah Road will also be shut for the same period of time.
The affected stretch is in red. Source: Google Maps
According to a Facebook post by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), bus services 67, 170, 176, 177, 178, 961, 963, 963e and 970 will be diverted.
However, Downtown Line train services will continue operations as normal.
Residents of 3 condos & 1 HDB block must evacuate
The affected area also includes several condominiums and a landed housing estate.
For their safety, all residents in these communities will have to evacuate from their homes before 8am that morning. The condos affected are:
- Hazelpark Condominium
- The Linear
- Bukit 828
Besides the condos, residents of Block 154 Gangsa Road, as well as landed homes in Hazelpark Terrace, must also leave their residences.
Shophouses with addresses from 778 to 822 Upper Bukit Timah Road will also have to be emptied of their occupants.
They will be allowed to return home only after 7pm, meaning they’ll be “homeless” for at least 11 hours.
A temporary holding area for them will be set up at Senja-Cashew Community Club.
Source: Google Maps
Students and teachers from Greenridge Secondary School, which is located on Gangsa Road, will conduct home-based learning (HBL) that day, said a Singapore Police Force (SPF) statement.
Residents told to switch off electrical devices & leave windows open
According to an SPF letter to residents posted on Reddit, electrical services in their homes will be affected due to the bomb disposal operation.
Source: Reddit
They were advised to switch off all their electrical devices before leaving.
Residents were also told to leave their windows open and secure loose items in their houses as a precaution.
After vacating their homes, they should stick a green strip provided to them on their front doors so the police can account for them.
The police will inform residents when they can return home via their social media pages and WhatsApp channel.
Public advised to avoid the area, parking also not allowed
As for general members of the public, SPF advised them to avoid the area on Tuesday during the bomb disposal period.
SPF added that those who happen to be in the vicinity shouldn’t be alarmed if they hear loud sounds.
Even parking isn’t allowed, with restrictions “strictly enforced”. That means vehicles that park or cause obstruction in the area may be towed away.
Drone activities are also banned from the area while the operation is ongoing.
So, for your safety, it’s best just to stay away from that area on Tuesday.
Also read: SAF To Detonate World War 2 Bomb In River Valley On 18 Nov, Parts Of Roads & S’pore River Will Close
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Singapore Police Force.
