While shopping at Orchard Central on Sunday (July 14) afternoon, a woman spotted what she thought was an ornament sitting on a vacant dining table.

When she looked closer, she realised, to her horror, that it was a rat. And it was very much alive.

The woman surnamed Qiu, 40, told Shin Min Daily News that she and her husband spotted the rodent at about 1.30pm at the Don Don Donki store, which is located at basement level 2 of the mall.

Recounting her reaction, she said: "I couldn't believe it. The rat wasn't moving at first, so I thought it was just a table decoration. Then I took a closer look and realised it was a real rat."

Qiu said that many passers-by also stopped to look at the rodent, which hardly moved around the table.

She then informed an employee of the Japanese supermarket chain about the rat before leaving around 10 minutes later.

When she walked past the area again more than 30 minutes later, the rat was gone and there were diners eating at that table.

"I think the mall or supermarket needs to check where exactly the rat came from," she said.

A supermarket employee confirmed the incident to a Shin Min reporter who visited later that afternoon. "A customer said the rat dropped from the ceiling. We later cleaned the table and disinfected it thoroughly."

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Deborah Tan, retail business group director of Far East Organization, which owns Orchard Central, told AsiaOne the mall was notified about the rodent sighting in a tenanted area at basement level 2 at 2.20pm on Sunday.

"Actions were taken immediately to ensure the affected area was deep cleaned and sanitised," she added. "We will continue to work closely with all tenants in the mall to reinforce the importance of concerted effort and regular pest control."

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also told AsiaOne that they are looking into the matter.

It said that food safety is a joint responsibility, and food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices and should also ensure that their premises are clean and well-maintained.

Members of the public who come across any potentially errant food operators should report to SFA via the online feedback form.

The agency added that it takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices.

SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained.

ALSO READ: Tangs Market rat: Food court closed for cleaning, affected diner rejects $200 voucher

lim.kewei@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.