SINGAPORE: Ang Mo Kio Town Council is investigating after a 70-year-old man fell off a newly-installed hawker centre chair and was taken to hospital, 8world News reported.
The incident happened on Sunday (Jun 2) night at Teck Ghee Square hawker centre – the second day of the hawker centre’s re-opening after renovations, according to the report.
The man was having a meal when his seat suddenly came off the base, causing him to fall backwards and hurt his head, the report added. He was eventually taken to hospital.
Some areas of the hawker centre were cordoned off on Jun 3, 2019.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that it responded to a call for medical assistance at 409 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 10.55pm, and that a person had been taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Ang Mo Kio Town Council has asked the contractor to complete a thorough investigation and to make sure all the chairs and tables can be safely used, according to 8world News.
Workers could be seen fixing chairs on Monday, with tables being cordoned off while checks were carried out.
Workers could be seen fixing the chairs at Teck Ghee Square hawker centre on Jun 3, 2019, a day after the incident.
Workers could be seen fixing the chairs at Teck Ghee Square hawker centre on Jun 3, 2019.
The hawker centre’s chairman Tan Wen Xin said customers had complained that a few chairs had fallen off their bases. He told 8world News he believed the old man had sat on one such chair after other customers had put back a loose seat.
The town council told the news outlet that the hawker centre’s chairs and tables have to adhere to safety standards, and that each chair is secured with adhesive and four screws.
A photo of the incident circulating on social media shows an elderly man sitting on the ground, with another man holding a towel to the back of his head.
