Elderly woman almost hit by concrete slab 'size of mahjong table' in Marine Terrace flat

SINGAPORE - An elderly woman was almost hit by a large slab of concrete that fell in her kitchen yesterday (Feb 6).

The fallen debris had a surface area about the size of a mahjong table, and measured about an inch thick, Madam Chen Xiuying, a retiree in her 70s, told Shin Min Daily News.

She was on her way to the toilet at around 2.30am when the incident happened in her flat at Block 51, Marine Terrace. She was about 2m away from being struck, she said.

Her husband, Mr Lee Zhanwu, 75, was also woken up by the loud crash.

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He told Shin Min that they encountered a similar incident 13 years ago, but the parts of concrete that fell then were not this huge.

As the couple's one-bedroom unit is a rental flat, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) paid for the repair works and will also be doing so this time round.

An HDB spokesperson told Shin Min that the flaking of concrete was caused by wear and tear of the flat, which is 43 years old.

Read also: Concrete slab falls in Yishun flat, cuts elderly's leg

The HDB has dispatched officers to clear the debris and carry out repair works as soon as possible.

After the close shave, Madam Chen told Shin Min that she does not dare go to the toilet without her husband, and without using an umbrella.

huizhen@sph.com.sg