Trouble from above: 2 diners injured after ceiling fan in Tampines coffee shop breaks apart

It was dinner time and hungry patrons thronged a coffeeshop in Tampines to fill their tummies.

Little did they know that a large ceiling fan hanging above some tables would break apart and rain chaos on them. 

Two people were taken to Changi General Hospital yesterday (Oct 28) evening after they were hit by broken fan blades.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne it received a call for assistance Block 201D, Tampines Street 21 at around 7.10pm.

Photos of the incident soon made their way to social media, with one showing an injured man holding the back of his head in pain, as a woman tried to help stop the bleeding.

Several witnesses said that the ceiling fan had been undergoing maintenance when it hit a metal ladder.

The fan swung, hitting the walls and signboards, said a Facebook user, adding that one of its blades broke from the impact.

It was a close shave for him too, as he was "supposed to wait directly under the hanging fan."

But he was asked to wait outside the coffee shop instead for his takeaway order so he avoided getting hurt in the incident.

In some photos, the affected area appeared to be cordoned off with tape, with chairs stacked up by the side after they were removed from the tables.

Netizens also highlighted safety lapses, pointing out that technicians should not be servicing the ceiling fan during the coffee shop's peak period when it was filled with patrons.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that a 20-year-old man and 82-year-old woman were conscious when they were taken to hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.

lamminlee@asiaone.com