The ceiling of a dessert shop in Orchard Rulie Building collapsed, and three people, including a pregnant woman, were sent to the hospital for treatment.
The accident occurred at about 4 p.m. Friday (September 12) at Swirl Lover, which sells acai bowls outside Liat Towers.
A reporter from Lianhe Zaobao arrived at the scene in the evening of Friday. The police had already raised the blockade and surrounded the site of the incident. The dessert shop where the incident happened was located under an open-air staircase. After the ceiling of half a badminton court collapsed, the scene was in a mess and the store was closed.
Witnesses work together to save people
Witness Zheng Kaicong (18 years old, student) was in the Starbucks coffee shop next to him at the time. He heard a loud noise outside and hurried out to check it out. “The entire ceiling fell, and five or six international students were pressed down. Although I was scared, I immediately worked with everyone to lift the ceiling to rescue the injured.”
Another witness, Zhang Jingqi (17 years old, student), said that more than 10 people came forward to help, and a pregnant woman fell to the ground due to frightened, but the amniotic fluid was not broken. Her husband and friends came forward to comfort her, while nearby clerks brought fans and cold water to help her relieve her. A female student had a bleeding nose and called her mother for help afterwards. According to Lianhe Zaobao, another injured person was a male student.
Further reading
Six people were injured in the glass fall in the Bonavesta mall and sent to the hospital
Glass plates in Tampines Shopping Mall are broken and fallen next to the escalator on the second floor
When asked, the Civil Defense Force confirmed that the two were taken to Singapore General Hospital and another was taken to Bamboo Foot Maternal and Child Hospital.
A spokesman for the Singapore Construction Authority said the engineers had completed the inspection and determined that the structural safety of the building was not affected. Preliminary investigations show that this is a local incident, or may be caused by improper ceiling installation. The affected areas have been blocked.
The Construction Bureau also requires the owner to appoint a Qualified Person to provide advice on preventive measures required to eliminate hidden dangers and to propose permanent rectification plans.
Massage yard stairs block customer churn turnover is frustrated
Above the ceiling of the accident is an open-air staircase leading to a Natureland massage parlor. The manager surnamed Chen revealed that the dessert store opened after decoration more than a year ago, and there were stores operating at the same location before.
She said that the stairs leading to the massage parlor after the incident were blocked by the police to ensure safety. She had to ask the employees to raise signs and let the appointment customers enter the store through the back door, “But some customers gave up. Friday afternoon to evening is the prime time, and the temporary visitors no longer come, and the turnover fell by 15%, which was helpless.”
A employee named Li (in his 30s) who works in Lie Building said that Lie Building has a history of about 60 years and people come and go. Businesses and authorities should always maintain facilities to avoid similar accidents.
A spokesperson for Lie Building said when asked that the collapsed ceiling was installed by the tenant itself, and there was no structural risk to the building and stairs, which was an isolated incident. “We cannot comment further as the investigation is still ongoing.”
