Singapore-February 24 (Sunday) The glass doors at the 4th storey carpark of the lift lobby at the Alexandra Central Mall came crashing down on a woman. The incident was caught on the security CCTV cameras.
It is the job of business establishments to ensure that its clients are safe by implementing the strictest precautionary measures and applying due diligence on safety and maintenance checks on its premises such as glass doors.
The carpark lift lobby of Alexandra Central Mall looked like it wasn’t properly checked when its glass door was unhinged and fell on a woman who was waiting for the lift.
ROADS.sg shared the footage of the incident on their Facebook page.
Everything seemed normal as the video started with a family exiting the lift and going out the doors into the parking area while another man entered the lobby.
He was followed by a woman who queued for the lift. When the side of the door that was open swung back into place, it hit the other door causing the latter to come loose and fall over on the unsuspecting woman.
The woman fell to the ground at the impact. Quick to respond, the other man in the lobby, along with another who just entered, helped the woman by lifting the fallen door away from her and made sure she was alright. Another man and woman came to the scene to provide assistance and called the authorities.
According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the woman was sent to the National University Hospital. Shin Min Daily News has also contacted the victim’s husband, known as Mr. Cai, who was the man waiting for the lift before the woman.
He recalled that his family of eight travelled in three cars and was supposed to have dinner at the mall. It was the couple that arrived first and entered the lift lobby. He shared that when the door fell on his wife, he tried to lift the door, but it was too heavy. He was only able to do so when his brother-in-law arrived to help.
The impact caused pain and shock to Mr. Cai’s wife who was initially conscious but later passed out and has been placed at a high-dependency ward.
The woman suffered head, leg, and pelvic injuries, as revealed by her elder sister, Mrs. Xie. The victim’s liver was also compressed which led to bleeding due to the impact. Doctors are currently monitoring the woman’s condition with the possibility of undergoing further operations.
With video footage going viral, the online community have pictured scenarios where the glass door could have fallen on a toddler, a pregnant lady or a senior citizen and are hopeful that the woman is well. They are also adamant that a full investigation be conducted on management for clear disregard of safety measures.
Ongoing investigation
According to a report on February 27 by Today, Alexandra Central Mall has confirmed that the glass door was misaligned. Mr. Philip Pang, the designated spokesperson for the mall’s management, said that the mall’s response to the incident was “swift” with officers being dispatched immediately after its chief security personnel saw the incident on the surveillance cameras.
Mr. Pang also informed Today that the glass door, which weighed around 50kgs, as estimated by a consultant from Singapore Renovation Contractors and Material Suppliers Association (RCMA), was removed and checks are being done at the site. Furthermore, all glass doors at the mall will be removed and replaced after a joint inspection by the management team along with council members, and contractors.
Via a circular that was released by the mall, Mr. Pang added that they have contacted the woman and her family and are staying updated with her condition. “We will do our best to assist her and her family,” said Mr. Pang.
The mall representative also emphasised that “firm action” will be taken on the parties who leaked the surveillance camera footage of the incident online although he did not further explain as to how they will track down the source of the video.