Residents grounded as lifts at Dover lose power

Residents grounded as lifts at Dover lose power

RESIDENTS returning home to Block 28B in Dover Crescent during lunch yesterday were left helpless when all four lifts serving their 40-storey Housing Board block lost power for close to an hour.

While some waited for the lift service to be restored, others resorted to climbing the stairs.

Jess Thia, who is in her 40s, said she was coming back from lunch at around 12.30pm when she noticed all the lifts were out of action.

Ms Thia, who is self-employed, said many who were affected by the lift stoppage were elderly residents and housewives.

Two of the block's four lifts serve units from the first floor to the 21st floor while the other two serve the first and 22nd to 40th.

Read also: Woodlands residents stranded for 4 hours after all three lifts break down

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Ms Thia, who lives on the 38th floor, climbed up 33 floors before the lifts started working again. "It looked easy at the start but after 10 floors, I had to take a break," she said.

Ms Thia, who has lived in the block for the past six years, has noticed that the two lifts serving the higher floors would take turns to break down almost every month.

Another resident, who wanted to be known as Mrs Wong, said for elderly residents living on higher levels, lift breakdowns are unacceptable.

"They may not be able to climb up 20 to 30 floors to get back to their homes," the housewife added.

West Coast Town Council, which manages the lifts in the estate, said the power supply trip happened at 12.26pm.

After receiving a resident's call, it immediately informed its lift and electrical term contractors and staff. According to the town council, the lifts resumed operation at 1.17pm.

It noted that this is the first time such an incident - where a power supply trip caused all four lifts to stop work - has taken place. It is investigating the cause of the trip.

calyang@sph.com.sg


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