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Straits Times
4 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Woman narrowly escapes injury after toilet ceiling collapses in 58-year-old Queenstown flat
Seah Jun De The Straits Times June 25, 2025 A woman narrowly avoided injury last Sunday when a chunk of concrete fell from the toilet ceiling in her flat at Block 81 Commonwealth Close in Queenstown. After reading a report about spalling concrete last week, Ms Ho Ai Ling, 52, began keeping a close watch on a crack in her toilet ceiling and avoided standing directly beneath while showering. She told Lianhe Zaobao that she escaped injury as she was standing close to the wall when the concrete collapsed. "I read a report on Saturday about a home in Yishun where the ceiling collapsed and the man had to get more than 10 stitches on his head. I reminded myself and my roommates to be careful, and it saved my life the next day." The livestreamer and actress added that she was fortunate the ceiling fan was off, as falling debris could have struck the blades and caused a more serious incident. The flat was built in 1967 and is 58 years old. Since moving in 14 years ago, she has repeatedly dealt with cracks and peeling paint on the toilet ceiling, she said. On June 18, she called the Housing Development Board (HDB) after discovering that the toilet ceiling had bulged again. The ceiling had clear signs of damage before part of it collapsed. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO However, before an inspection could take place, the ceiling collapsed. Ms Ho said that HDB had helped to repair the toilet ceiling in 2012, and she has repaired it herself many times since then. She also installed a ceiling fan to keep the toilet dry, but it did not have the intended effect. "I saw that the bulging was serious and I couldn't fix it myself anymore, so I contacted HDB." During a call with HDB last week, the agency agreed to bear half of her repair costs under the Goodwill Repair Assistance Scheme, said Ms Ho. "After the concrete collapsed, the authorities said they would come back on July 3 to see if there were any other parts of the ceiling that needed repair too." Chairman of the Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) civil and structural technical committee David Ng, told the Chinese daily that such repairs are complex and should be handled by professionals. He added that the homeowner's repair work may provide temporary relief, but if the real cause of the peeling is not found, the problem may persist. Residents can regularly check the ceiling surface for signs of damage, and take waterproofing measures such as applying waterproof paint or sealants. Keeping the toilet well-ventilated can also help prevent damage to the ceiling, he added. According to the HDB website, homeowners are responsible for preventing and repairing cement spalling in their homes. However, if the affected area is large, a contractor should be hired to repair it as soon as possible. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- General
- AsiaOne
Toilet ceiling in Queenstown flat collapses as woman showers, Singapore News
A woman narrowly avoided injury last Sunday when a chunk of concrete fell from the toilet ceiling in her flat at Block 81 Commonwealth Close in Queenstown. After reading a report about spalling concrete last week, Ho Ai Ling, 52, began keeping a close watch on a crack in her toilet ceiling and avoided standing directly beneath while showering. She told Lianhe Zaobao that she escaped injury as she was standing close to the wall when the concrete collapsed. "I read a report on Saturday about a home in Yishun where the ceiling collapsed and the man had to get more than 10 stitches on his head. I reminded myself and my roommates to be careful, and it saved my life the next day." The livestreamer and actress added that she was fortunate the ceiling fan was off, as falling debris could have struck the blades and caused a more serious incident. The flat was built in 1967 and is 58 years old. Since moving in 14 years ago, she has repeatedly dealt with cracks and peeling paint on the toilet ceiling, she said. On June 18, she called the Housing Development Board (HDB) after discovering that the toilet ceiling had bulged again. However, before an inspection could take place, the ceiling collapsed. Ho said that HDB had helped to repair the toilet ceiling in 2012, and she has repaired it herself many times since then. She also installed a ceiling fan to keep the toilet dry, but it did not have the intended effect. "I saw that the bulging was serious and I couldn't fix it myself anymore, so I contacted HDB." During a call with HDB last week, the agency agreed to bear half of her repair costs under the Goodwill Repair Assistance Scheme, said Ho. "After the concrete collapsed, the authorities said they would come back on July 3 to see if there were any other parts of the ceiling that needed repair too." Chairman of the Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) civil and structural technical committee David Ng, told the Chinese daily that such repairs are complex and should be handled by professionals. He added that the homeowner's repair work may provide temporary relief, but if the real cause of the peeling is not found, the problem may persist. Residents can regularly check the ceiling surface for signs of damage, and take waterproofing measures such as applying waterproof paint or sealants. Keeping the toilet well-ventilated can also help prevent damage to the ceiling, he added. According to the HDB website, homeowners are responsible for preventing and repairing cement spalling in their homes. However, if the affected area is large, a contractor should be hired to repair it as soon as possible. [[nid:719319]] This article was first published in The New Paper . Permission required for reproduction.
New Paper
5 days ago
- General
- New Paper
Toilet ceiling in Queenstown flat collapses as woman showers
A woman narrowly avoided injury last Sunday when a chunk of concrete fell from the toilet ceiling in her flat at Block 81 Commonwealth Close in Queenstown. After reading a report about spalling concrete last week, Ms Ho Ai Ling, 52, began keeping a close watch on a crack in her toilet ceiling and avoided standing directly beneath while showering. She told Lianhe Zaobao that she escaped injury as she was standing close to the wall when the concrete collapsed. "I read a report on Saturday about a home in Yishun where the ceiling collapsed and the man had to get more than 10 stitches on his head. I reminded myself and my roommates to be careful, and it saved my life the next day." The livestreamer and actress added that she was fortunate the ceiling fan was off, as falling debris could have struck the blades and caused a more serious incident. The flat was built in 1967 and is 58 years old. Since moving in 14 years ago, she has repeatedly dealt with cracks and peeling paint on the toilet ceiling, she said. On June 18, she called the Housing Development Board (HDB) after discovering that the toilet ceiling had bulged again. The ceiling had clear signs of damage before part of it collapsed. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO However, before an inspection could take place, the ceiling collapsed. Ms Ho said that HDB had helped to repair the toilet ceiling in 2012, and she has repaired it herself many times since then. She also installed a ceiling fan to keep the toilet dry, but it did not have the intended effect. "I saw that the bulging was serious and I couldn't fix it myself anymore, so I contacted HDB." During a call with HDB last week, the agency agreed to bear half of her repair costs under the Goodwill Repair Assistance Scheme, said Ms Ho. "After the concrete collapsed, the authorities said they would come back on July 3 to see if there were any other parts of the ceiling that needed repair too." Chairman of the Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) civil and structural technical committee David Ng, told the Chinese daily that such repairs are complex and should be handled by professionals. He added that the homeowner's repair work may provide temporary relief, but if the real cause of the peeling is not found, the problem may persist. Residents can regularly check the ceiling surface for signs of damage, and take waterproofing measures such as applying waterproof paint or sealants. Keeping the toilet well-ventilated can also help prevent damage to the ceiling, he added. According to the HDB website, homeowners are responsible for preventing and repairing cement spalling in their homes. However, if the affected area is large, a contractor should be hired to repair it as soon as possible.
New Paper
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Paper
Digital sentry to keep watch for errant motorists at Geylang Serai market carpark
A new "parking enforcement officer" will soon keep a keen eye, 24/7, for errant motorists causing congestion at the multi-storey carpark connected to the Geylang Serai Hawker Centre and Market. The "officer" will be in the form of a Digital Sentry, said Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim on June 10. Digital Sentry is a round-the-clock security system developed by local firm Smartguard. According to Smartguard's website, the sentry device has a video monitoring software system that is also able to capture vehicle licence plates of those who offend. It also has LED displays and "three-way sirens for active deterrence". In a Facebook post, Prof Faishal, who is MP for Kembangan (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC), said he had received "several feedback on the high occurrence of congestion" at Deck 3A of Block 2 Geylang Serai Road multi-story carpark. His post was accompanied by photos of a drop-off point that leads to the Geylang Serai Hawker Centre and Market. "This (congestion) inconveniences residents and visitors. I am more concerned as this is unsafe especially for seniors and those who have mobility issues who may be blocked from view from oncoming vehicles," said Prof Faishal. He noted that even though the parking enforcement officers have been "very responsive", deploying them is not a sustainable solution as motorists continue to park and wait after the officers leave. To tackle the issue, the Housing Development Board will be piloting the Digital Sentry at the carpark, he added. "This helps to smoothen the traffic flow by nudging motorists to move their vehicles," said Prof Faishal. "Motorists who choose to continue waiting at the area blocking the traffic flow will have their licence plates recorded and enforcement action will be taken." "Let us all do our part to make the parking experience pleasant for all as we go about enjoying our favourite 'teh tarik' or shopping," added Prof Faishal.
Independent Singapore
09-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Queenstown 5-room flat resold for S$1.66 million, setting new record
SINGAPORE: A five-room loft unit at SkyTerrace@Dawson has fetched a staggering S$1,658,888, setting a new record for the highest resale price of a five-room HDB flat according to official data released by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). The premium loft apartment, located on the 22nd to 24th floors of Block 92 Dawson Road, spans 122 square metres and is part of the highly sought-after SkyTerrace@Dawson development in Queenstown. The sale was completed earlier this month. Built under HDB's Build-To-Order (BTO) scheme as part of its efforts to rejuvenate mature estates, SkyTerrace@Dawson is known for its award-winning architecture, greenery-lined sky terraces, and proximity to amenities such as Queenstown MRT and Dawson Place. The unit is approximately nine years old and still has 89 years and 11 months left on its 99-year lease. While the sale marks a new high in HDB's public resale transaction records for five-room flats, it falls just shy of an even higher-profile transaction from last year. In July last year, a five-room flat at SkyOasis@Dawson was reportedly sold for nearly S$1.73 million, drawing attention for being the priciest HDB resale flat on record. However, that sale doesn't show up in HDB's official transaction database. Such high resale prices have sparked ongoing debate. As more million-dollar flats hit the market, questions about the affordability of HDB flats persist.
