Hougang Avenue 8: Child nearly hit by falling brick

A child was walking under the sheltered walkway when a brick crashed through the tiled roof and landed right next to his feet. He was so frightened that he started crying and ran upstairs to find his family at Block 698C, Hougang Avenue 8.

Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that passers-by immediately looked up to find the culprit.

One claimed to have seen three teenagers standing along a corridor before they disappeared.

A passer-by called the police about the incident, which took place last Thursday at around 7pm.

A retiree who gave his name as Peter walked past the scene and said that he saw pieces of brick on the ground.

Suspicious Character

Peter said two police officers arrived to investigate and ask if residents had seen any suspicious characters in the area.

Resident Jimmy Lim, 42, a salesman, said: "Many old people and young children use this walkway. Everyone would assume that because it's covered, they don't need to watch out for their safety.

"Who would expect things to fall through the roof?"

Mr Lim said that the brick must have been thrown with great force because it broke through the tiles and the roof of the walkway.

If it had hit someone on the head, the result would have been disastrous, he said.

The police have classified the case as a rash act and are investigating.

This article was published on April 3 in The New Paper.

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