SINGAPORE: The father of a Singaporean teenager is seeking explanations and compensation from the authorities after his daughter broke her ankle when she stepped into a gap near a construction site that is right beside a Yishun bus stop.
The teenager, 19-year-old student Huang Jia Min, now needs surgery and a period of about five months to be able to walk normally. Aside from forcing her to miss her polytechnic graduation next month, the long rehabilitation period has also scuttled some of her future plans to apply to universities and go for interviews.
The incident took place around 11 am on 21 Feb. Jia Min was walking past a temporary bus stop at Yishun Central, across the road from Khoo Teck Phuat hospital, when she stepped into a 20 cm-wide gap at a nearby construction site by accident.
The teen panicked and tried to balance herself using her right foot to avoid falling down but suddenly felt massive pain shooting up her leg and her foot ballooned with immense swelling. Her ankle had broken.
Kindhearted passersby rushed to her aid and Jia Min was sent to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where she was told that the doctors will need to insert screws and iron plates to support her broken ankle to give her a chance at being able to walk normally again.
Jia Min has since said that there were no warning signs when the accident took place but her father found newly painted yellow warning strips and railings at the site when he visited the scene of the accident on 22 Feb. The gap had also been filled.
Mr Huang told Shin Min Daily News that the accident wouldn’t have occurred if these safety measures had been taken earlier. Hoping for proper explanations and compensation for the incident, he added that the consequences could have been far worse if an elderly person had fallen due to the gap.
Aside from the extreme pain, Jia Min is severely distressed by the prospect of not being able to walk with ease for at least five months. Lamenting that she has not even started wearing high-heeled shoes yet, the traumatised teen told the Chinese daily that she suffered from nightmares after the shocking incident.
A Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesperson has since said that they are aware of the incident and have filled the gap. Revealing that they have offered assistance to Jia Min, the LTA representative said that they have implemented safety measures like ramps, barricades and safety cones to better guide pedestrians.