'I was stunned': Man falls into 1.8m-deep drain at Punggol after cover gives way

He just wanted to throw away some rubbish, but in a blink of an eye, a man in Punggol found himself falling into a drain. 

The incident happened outside Northshore Plaza on April 1 around 12pm, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

The 36-year-old man, surnamed Xu, was accompanying his children while they played at a playground outside the mall. 

He later walked towards a dustbin to dispose of some rubbish.

As he did so, one of the concrete drain covers he was stepping on gave way, causing him to fall. 

"Suddenly, my whole body and the cover fell into the drain," he recounted to the Chinese daily. 

"It felt as if I was on a water park ride. My body fell straight down and I was stunned." 

He estimated the drain's depth to be around his height of 1.8metres.

Passers-by also rushed over to help him and eventually, two men pulled him out of the drain, and also offered to call an ambulance for Xu.

He didn't want to scare the children 

Xu said he rejected the offer as he did not want to scare his children. 

"I was stunned by the fall and didn't realise I was injured. I didn't want to scare my kids, so I took them home first," he explained. 

But after getting some rest at home, the discomfort became unbearable and the man decided to visit a doctor. 

The fall left him with a back sprain as well as scratches on his knees and ankles. During the interview with Shin Min, he was unable to straighten his back due to the pain.

Cracks in the drain 

According to Xu, several drain covers in the area had cracks, which may have caused his fall. 

He also voiced concern about the drain's proximity to the playground, especially since it is frequented by children and skateboarders. 

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"If a child or elderly person falls into the drain, it would've been worse," he said. 

Another member of the public surnamed Li told Shin Min that she often sees children walking around that area and she was worried it would be a safety hazard. 

"This hole is really big. If one does not notice it, they may accidentally fall," she pointed out, adding that she hopes the issue can be resolved as soon as possible. 

When Shin Min visited the accident site on Saturday night (April 1), they noted that the affected drain was cordoned off and surrounded by staff. 

Signs were also put up to warn the public of the potential danger. 

Xu added that he had notified Northshore Plaza's management about the incident. 

AsiaOne has contacted the mall for more details. 

Woman sued town council after fall in Bukit Panjang

In a separate incident, a 71-year-old woman named Chan Chui Yoke, sued the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council for more than $60,000 after she stepped into an uncovered part of a drain in 2021.

Chan had walked across the 25cm-wide, 36cm-deep drain from the pedestrian walkway to a turfed area to water some plants.

But as she was crossing back to the walkway, she accidentally stepped into the drain.

She hit her face on the pavement and landed on her right hand and ended up fracturing her right middle finger. The elderly woman also tore her left Achilles tendon.

In 2023, Chan lost her case after the judge decided it was unlikely for anyone to have fallen there.

melissateo@asiaone.com