Man trapped in newly-renovated toilet for hours after lock jams, no longer dares to lock door

A recent renovation to his HDB flat led to a man getting stuck in his toilet for two hours because the lock got jammed.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the man referred to as Mr Huang, said the toilet in his HDB flat at Block 270 Bangkit Road in Bukit Panjang had just gotten an upgrade under the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). 

The HIP is a subsidised home upgrading government programme for selected HDB flats above a certain age.

On Saturday (Sept 3), the 63-year-old took a shower and, to his horror, was unable to open the door after he was done.

Mr Huang explained that his toilet has a folding door, and the locking mechanism on top had somehow gotten jammed.

Hoping to get his wife’s attention, he started banging on the door – but she heard him only after an hour as she had been watching TV in their room.

They tried all sorts of ways to try and break the door open, and it took another hour before Mr Huang managed to pry open a gap in the door with a screwdriver.

They eventually managed to tear the door off the rails, freeing Mr Huang after a two-hour ordeal.

No more locks

Both husband and wife now no longer dare to lock the door when they use the toilet. 

Since the toilet upgrade was part of the HIP, Mr Huang contacted the authorities, who agreed to replace the door.

When he said he wanted the replacement to be a different kind of door, he was told the HIP package includes only one type, and for another design he would have to get someone else to do it at his own expense.

After making inquiries, Mr Huang estimated he would have to fork out around $400 to replace the door. 

He is still in discussions with the authorities to come up with a compromise or solution.