'Thankfully, she didn't have any nightmares': Mum says daughter, 7, was trapped in SingPost Centre toilet due to burst ceiling pipe

A young girl's routine trip to the toilet at SingPost Centre last Saturday (June 29) night turned into an ordeal when a pipe burst in the ceiling and ended up trapping her.

Recounting the incident on Xiaohongshu the next day, her mother, Liang Jiaxin (transliteration), said they were shopping at the mall in Paya Lebar when her seven-year-old daughter rushed off to use the toilet urgently.

While waiting for the girl outside the toilet, Liang noticed water dripping from the ceiling along the corridor.

"The lights went out and the water started gushing down a few seconds later," said the 35-year-old interior designer, adding that a portion of the ceiling collapsed.

While Liang was on the phone with her husband, she heard her daughter yelling for help from the toilet.

When she rushed inside, she saw that the girl had climbed onto the diaper-changing table to avoid the pool of water on the floor.

"I grabbed her and we ran back through the 'waterfall' together," added Liang.

She said that the experience was harrowing and it made her legs feel weak after leaving the mall.

"I kept thinking about what would have happened if the wires from the collapsed ceiling were exposed to water," she added.

Several netizens expressed their concerns for Liang's daughter, while others urged the mother to seek compensation from the mall. 

"You are so brave. I hope you and your daughter won't be traumatised by this incident," one said. 

In the comments, Liang likened the incident to being in a disaster movie. 

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao later, she said her daughter could not stop crying for several minutes after the incident.

"She calmed down only after I hugged her tightly and comforted her," she said. "Thankfully, she didn't have any nightmares.

"And since it was close to closing time at the mall, there were no adults around when my daughter was in the toilet. That made the experience even scarier for a kid."

SingPost Centre closes at 10pm.

Burst water pipe due to new water meter installation: SingPost

Responding to Zaobao's queries, SingPost confirmed that a water pipe had burst at around 9.10pm on June 29 due to the installation of a new water meter.

The spokesperson said that maintenance personnel immediately arrived to cordon off the area, and regular operation of other areas of the mall was not affected.

The incident did not cause any injuries or damage to property, the spokesperson added, but acknowledged that several patrons were splashed with water.

Zaobao reported that Singpost has since closed off the affected corridor leading to the toilet,  and the nearby lift is also under maintenance.

AsiaOne has contacted Liang and SingPost for more information.

ALSO READ: Waterway Point or Waterfall Point? Netizens poke fun at ceiling leak

chingshijie@asiaone.com