Elderly man injured after chair gives way at newly upgraded Teck Ghee hawker centre

Elderly man injured after chair gives way at newly upgraded Teck Ghee hawker centre

SINGAPORE - A 70-year-old man who was having a meal at Teck Ghee Square hawker centre on Sunday night (June 2) suffered injuries to his head after the chair he was seated on came apart, causing him to fall.

Photos of the incident have been circulating on Facebook and online discussion forum Reddit since late on Sunday night.

Spots of blood can be seen next to the man, who is sitting on the ground next to the seat of a chair that appears to have fallen apart from its base. A younger man is seen applying something to the back of the victim's head, presumably to stop him from bleeding.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it received a call for medical assistance at Block 409 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 11pm.

A man was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the SCDF said.

The Straits Times understands that he had minor head injuries.

In response to queries, the Ang Mo Kio Town Council said on Monday that it was alerted to the incident on Sunday night and is investigating.

"We have not been able to establish the identity of the elderly man but we are doing all we can to reach out to his family members," a town council spokesman said.

The spokesman said that all the chairs at the hawker centre, numbering close to 600, and tables are currently being checked to ensure that they are secure and meet standard safety requirements.

"Each seat is secured to the metal base using four screws as well as 'max bond' glue," the spokesman added.

The incident happened just two days after Teck Ghee Square market and hawker centre reopened after two months' closure.

The centre was shut from April 1 to May 31 for repair, redecoration and upgrading works, according to an announcement by the town council on Facebook in March.

On Monday, the town council spokesman said that the contractor has been mobilised on site to rectify any issues as well as ensure that table and chairs are secure by the same day.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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