‘Recovering well and in good spirits’: Workers’ Party MP Louis Chua shares update on boy injured by Rivervale Mall signboard

SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (WP MP) Louis Chua (Sengkang) gave an update to the child who sustained a head injury when a signboard outside Rivervale Mall collapsed and fell on him on June 20. WP MP Louis Chua says boy injured when a signboard from Rivervale Mall fell on him is doing well and in good spirits

Mr Chua, who has been representing Rivervale in Parliament since 2020, said that he and his team visited the 10-year-old boy and his family on the evening of June 25, and were relieved to learn that the boy is “recovering well and in good spirits,” although he acknowledged that the incident had been a distressing experience for the whole family.

He recounted that the incident occurred as the boy and his family had simply been passing the area, and added that the WP team will stay in contact with the family to continue to support them as they recover.

Photographs from Shin Min Daily News showed the wound on the boy’s scalp as well as his being transported in a wheelchair with his head in bandages. In the photo on Mr Chua’s post, however, the child was standing up and appeared not to have any more bandages on his head.

The MP also noted with appreciation that the management of Rivervale Mall and Food Junction had responded quickly to the mishap and were working closely with the boy’s family as well as with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

He added that the required inspections and rectification works have finished and that BCA has cleared the affected area. Also, the food court is back to normal, and Mr Chua invited residents to come by.

“I hope this incident also serves as a reminder for all commercial property operators to conduct regular inspection and maintenance on their properties, and for all contractors to not compromise on construction standards in the interest of public safety,” he wrote.

What happened to the boy?

On June 20, shortly before 10:30 am, a signboard collapsed at the entrance of the Food Junction food court in Rivervale Mall in Sengkang. When it hit the young boy, his head was injured.

Reporting from Mothership said that the boy sustained a 5 cm wound on his head that needed stitches as well as a 4 cm abrasion, and that his wounds were bleeding heavily after he was struck by the signboard.

The boy was taken for medical treatment and evaluation to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where doctors advised his family to monitor him for 72 hours. Later, he was discharged and was reported to be resting at home.

After the mishap, Food Junction issued an apology, adding that it carried out a review, reinforced safety precautions, and resumed operations. The BCA also declared the mall structurally sound, but further investigation into the signage failure was ordered. /TISG

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