Toddler's pinkie trapped between door hinges

She had just arrived in Singapore from Fujian, China, for a month-long holiday, and was making a quick trip with her son to the bank to change her bank card.

While she was making the transaction at the United Overseas Bank (UOB) branch at 80, Hougang Central, Madam Yi, 30, left her son near the entrance of the bank, next to its heavy front glass doors.

This was when disaster struck.

Her three-year-old son, Wang Kai Xiang, was playing near the left side of the entrance when his right pinkie got trapped between the hinges of the glass door, causing him to cry out in pain.

Madam Yi told The New Paper: "I suddenly heard a loud cry and realised that my boy had his finger trapped by the door. It must have got stuck because he slid his finger between the door when someone opened it. It was a real shock."

The door was jammed and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had to be called in to free the boy.

An SCDF spokesman said that it received a call at noon, and dispatched a fire engine, a Red Rhino and an ambulance to the location. SCDF said the process to free the boy lasted eight minutes.

Once freed, the boy was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where he received outpatient treatment.

SUPPORT

Despite the harrowing experience, Madam Yi was quick to commend the support of the passers-by who had rallied to help her trapped son.

She said: "Everyone was so helpful. They were brainstorming for ways to free my son and even helped cordon off the area to prevent people from trying to enter through the jammed door."

She also reserved special praise for UOB staff, whom she said responded effectively to the incident, and were on task the whole way through.

She said: "They were very good. They called the authorities immediately and even accompanied us to the hospital."

UOB spokesman Kelyn Tan said that its service manager escorted Madam Yi and her son to the hospital after the boy was freed.

She added: "We are very appreciative of the quick thinking of our branch team as they helped to resolve the accident."

This article was first published on September 28, 2014.
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