Toilet ceiling concrete falls on elderly man's head in Yishun, leaving him with over 10 stitches
A 65-year-old man was getting ready in his bathroom when chunks of concrete from the toilet ceiling fell on him without warning.
Toilet ceiling concrete falls on elderly man's head in Yishun, leaving him with over 10 stitches
A 65-year-old man was getting ready in his bathroom when chunks of concrete from the toilet ceiling fell on him without warning.
His daughter Siti, a 34-year-old housewife, told Lianhe Zaobao that her father, stepmother and stepbrother live in a three-room HDB flat at Block 127 Yishun Street 11.
The accident happened at around 4.30am on June 19, while the retiree was preparing for morning prayers.
Suddenly, large pieces of concrete from the bathroom ceiling fell and struck him as he was sitting on the toilet.
"My stepmother heard the noise and then heard my father calling for help, so she went to check," Siti said.
"The toilet door was blocked by the debris, so she forcefully pushed the door open and found my father bleeding profusely."
Immediately, Siti's stepmother notified her aunt, who lived close by.
"She was terrified, my aunt helped to call the police," Siti recalled.
"My father was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment. His health is not great in the first place, and this has made him worry even more."
According to a Facebook post by Siti, her father suffered head, shoulder, and knee injuries.
"His head needed over 10 stitches," it reads.
"He is now in the hospital for observation, as he is also on blood-thinning medication.
"The flat went through the Home Improvement Programme in 2018, and no recent renovations have been done by him or the neighbors above."
The family later reported the incident to the Housing Board and to the police.
"I'm sharing this so that other families with elderly parents living in older flats will be aware," Siti wrote.
"Please check on their housing conditions. We never thought something like this could happen."
According to the Housing Board, spalling concrete is a common issue for older buildings, especially in home areas with damp conditions, such as kitchens and toilets.
It is the responsibility of owners to prevent and repair spalling concrete in their flats.
Stomp has contacted the authorities for more info.
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