11 trapped in Kallang MRT lift

Eleven people were trapped in a lift at Kallang MRT Station on Sunday afternoon for close to 25 minutes.

The passengers were taking the elevator from the train platform on the second level to the first when it suddenly stopped at about 2.35pm, Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday.

One of the trapped commuters, who gave his name as Mr Wang, told Shin Min that he was with 10 other passengers in the lift.

The 53-year-old, who is self-employed, said the lift was about to reach the first floor when it stopped.

"We immediately pressed the emergency button to ask for help, and the staff members who responded told us not to panic and said they would send people to fix it," he added.

He said the lift started to move upwards soon after, but before it could reach the second floor, it stalled again.

They were then "just 30cm away from the platform" but the lift would not move.

All the lift occupants were "extremely anxious", he said.

Three staff members rushed to the platform and tried for more than 10 minutes to get the lift doors to open from a control panel under the platform floor next to the lift.

Mr Wang said maintenance crew arrived about 10 minutes later and got the doors open quickly, ending the 25-minute ordeal.

"We were all soaked in perspiration and one of the older folks seemed to be having trouble breathing so she was given water," he added.

Mr Wang said the issue would have been solved earlier had there been a professional lift repairman stationed there.

He added that it was fortunate there were no children or weak elderly people in the elevator.

Patrick Nathan, vice-president of corporate information and communications at SMRT, said it had immediately dispatched staff members to the scene and successfully rescued the passengers.

He expressed deep apologies for the inconvenience caused.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Friday that he had asked the Building and Construction Authority to intensify its audits of lifts around Singapore, particularly those in Housing Board blocks, The Straits Times reported on Saturday.

This was after a spate of lift mishaps.

myp@sph.com.sg

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