Shin Min daily News reported that all three lifts in Block 302A Woodlands St 32 broke down yesterday and that several residents were stranded at the void deck of the block from 6pm to 10pm. Block 302A has over 30 floors in that block.
Two of the three lifts were already down due to a power outage from yesterday morning. Residents were however able to use the only working lift to access their units until it broke down at about 6pm.
An old man with a pacemaker was upset that the frozen salmon he had bought was beginning to thaw that he tried to climb up to his flat on the 21st floor. He only managed to reach the 8th floor before tiring out.
222 households, particularly wheelchair-bound and the elderly, were affected by the lifts malfunctioning. The MP for the area, Madam Halimah Yacob arrived at the scene at about 9pm after she was informed about it.
Shin Min Daily News reported her as saying that she acknowledged that this is not the first time such incidents had happened. She said that her town council will ensure that the lift is regularly maintained to avoid a repeat of such events.
Town council staff provided chairs for the affected residents and also water while they waited for technicians to fix the malfunctioning lifts.
In a video uploaded by STOMP, one resident can be heard telling Madam Halimah how affected residents could not reach her until late at night.
Meanwhile Facebook user Patrick Tan who claims that his friends’ parents live at the affected block asked the following questions:
1. why nothing was done until the 3rd lift broke down when the first 2 lifts broke down in the morning im sure there’s bound to be some residents who will call up the hotline to notify them?
2. is the lift maintainence teams only available during office hrs that’s why there was such a Long delay by them yesterday?
3. town councils from the pap never pay enough money to them for lift maintainence that is why they take their own sweet times to come?
4. are they being paid yet doing nothing much that is why last service date was not display in our lifts now?
5. are they shortage of manpower yet all the contracts from the town councils are give to them?
6. who own the company?