Man injured after wall of shop unit at Yew Tee MRT station collapses during renovation

Christmas did not get off to a good start for at least one resident at Yew Tee, after the exterior wall of an empty shop space at Yew Tee MRT Station suddenly collapsed yesterday (Dec 25).

The incident occurred at about 11.40am, according to local media reports.

The space, located next to The Food Inn, had been undergoing renovation work at the time, Lianhe Zaobao reported. A passerby was conveyed to the hospital following the incident, after reportedly injuring his back.

In a statement to 8world on Sunday, SMRT stated that train service at the MRT station was not affected.

When interviewed, a contractor told Zaobao that the unit was originally occupied by a bank, and the collapsed wall was where the ATMs used to be.

It is speculated that the accident was caused by the unstable structure of the wall.

Based on photos of the incident, remnants of the wall and red bricks were seen scattered on the ground. As the incident occurred near lunchtime, many passers-by were also seen crowding in front of the now wall-less space.

According to Zaobao, police officers, TransCom officers and MRT station staff rushed to the scene following the collapse to maintain order and cordon off the area for public safety.

Man injured in incident due to fall

Following the incident, SMRT has suspended all renovation work at the site, 8world reported. 

It added that the unit leased to Ananas Food Market has been cordoned off for safety reasons.

An SMRT spokesperson also clarified that the passerby who was sent to hospital had injured himself after falling due to the shock. No additional information was given regarding his condition.

The contractor in charge of the renovation told Lianhe Zaobao that workers who were having their lunch at the time went forward to help the injured man immediately following the collapse.

The man was seen sitting on the ground after the incident as he waited to be attended to by paramedics.

A 63-year-old member of the public told Zaobao that it was fortunate that no one else was hurt. "Many elderly and children walk past this area, thankfully the incident didn't injure anyone else."

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aishahm@asiaone.com