4-year-old injured after glass table allegedly shatters in Singapore hotel room, family seeks $8,000 refund

What was supposed to be a family holiday for some Chinese tourists in Singapore took a painful turn when a glass coffee table allegedly shattered in their hotel room, injuring a four-year-old girl. 

A shard of glass allegedly became lodged in the girl's foot, and she had to be taken to hospital. Her family is now seeking an $8,000 refund for their hotel stay following the incident. 

A woman, who gave her surname as Wang, told Shin Min Daily News that her family checked into Momentus Hotel Alexandra on July 6 and later decided to extend their stay to July 22.

The 38-year-old accountant from Xiamen, China, also asked to move to an executive suite. The hotel arranged for them to make the switch on July 11.

When the family moved to their new room, Wang said a hotel staff shifted the glass coffee table in the living room to set up a sofa bed, which they did not need.

Wang later moved the table to create more space for her daughter to play.

"I was sitting on the sofa and my daughter and younger sister were standing next to the coffee table when the glass suddenly shattered," Wang claimed.

Frightened, her daughter burst into tears. She said hotel staff treated their bleeding wounds with a first-aid kit and cleaned up the broken glass.

However, Wang said her daughter later complained of pain while walking.

"When we checked, we found that a shard of glass was lodged in the sole of her foot," she alleged.

As a tourist unfamiliar with the area, she requested a staff member to accompany them to a hospital. She claimed she waited an hour for someone to do so.

Police report lodged; hotel investigating

The woman claimed in a Xiaohongshu post that the hotel did not proactively contact her after the incident.

She told Shin Min that the medical bill and transportation costs to the hospital totalled about $200.

Wang also said the incident raised safety concerns about the hotel and traumatised her daughter. 

She is seeking a full refund of $8,000 for her stay.

Wang said she has lodged a police report and does not rule out taking legal action. The police confirmed to the Chinese publication that a report had been lodged.

The hotel told Shin Min that ensuring the safety and well-being of its guests is their top priority, and that they are in contact with the affected guest following the incident.

It said its management is fully investigating the matter, and that it could not comment further.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com