PUBLISHED ONMarch 28, 2024 1:35 AMByLim KeweiA woman and her four-year-old found themselves stuck for over an hour after the lift in their Bukit Batok condominium estate malfunctioned on Tuesday (March 26) morning.
The father of the 34-year-old woman told Shin Min Daily News his daughter and granddaughter took the lift from the 11th floor of The Dew condo at around 7.50am.
The lift suddenly malfunctioned when it reached the ground floor, trapping them inside.
Huang said that the condo's security guards learnt of the incident about eight minutes later and notified the lift contractor. However, the technician reportedly took so long to reach to reach the condo that mother and daughter were trapped for around 80 minutes.
"I went to look for [my daughter] at around 9.10am and saw her being rescued. I really don't understand why it took so long," he said.
He added that the technician who opened the lift door within minutes after he arrived, told him he was informed of the incident at around 8am.
While waiting, his daughter ended up calling the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for help.
The SCDF said it received a call for assistance at around 8.50am on Tuesday, but their assistance was not required for the rescue.
Huang said his granddaughter looked frightened and was unable to speak after she was rescued.
The tight, stuffy space, coupled with the sweltering weather, also caused her to have breathing difficulties, he added.
"She didn't speak at all. She would usually tell us, 'bye bye', but she ignores us now," he said.
Fortunately, he said that the SCDF officers did not find any serious issues with the girl after conducting a check.
Huang feels that the responsibility to rectify the situation lies with the condo's management office and the lift contractor.
"We cannot accept the attitude of the technicians and reserve the right to pursue legal action," he added.
While his daughter and granddaughter emerged unscathed from the incident, he asked what if it had been residents with medical conditions or a pregnant woman who were trapped in the lift.
When contacted by Zaobao, a spokesperson from the condo's management office said it was the first time someone had been trapped in a lift in the estate for more than one hour.
Technicians should arrive within 30 minutes of the malfunction, he said, adding that the management will issue a warning to the lift contractor.
"The other party took one hour and 10 minutes to arrive, which is unacceptable. We will hold the contractor accountable and investigate if there was any breach in contract, without ruling out the issuance of a fine."
The management office said that they will contact the affected residents to express their regret over the incident and provide assistance if needed.
The condo's management office declined further comment when contacted by AsiaOne.
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
