SCDF takes 90 min to rescue 3 trapped under racks of rugs in warehouse floor collapse on CNY eve
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) took about 90 minutes to rescue three people after a warehouse floor collapse in Toa Payoh on the eve of Chinese New Year.
SCDF said in a Facebook post on Jan 28 that SCDF was alerted to the incident at 11 Toa Payoh Industrial Park at approximately 5:50pm.
A few persons were reportedly trapped under piles of rugs after a mezzanine floor, along with storage racks, collapsed inside a warehouse unit on the first floor.
One person had managed to free himself before SCDF arrived and informed that three other persons were still trapped.
Firefighters from Bishan Fire Station, rescuers from the Special Response Unit and the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team were involved in the search in the affected area which measured approximately 20m by 10m.
They removed the piles of rugs and cut through storage racks and after about 90 minutes, all three persons, two of whom were children, were rescued.
Two SCDF search dogs were also deployed.
The two children were taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital while two people were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. All four were conscious.
The warehouse unit's tenant is AHT Carpet and Flooring, which had been using the mezzanine floor to store carpets and rugs, reported The Straits Times.
AHT's founder, Mr Mohammed Hairul said the company had been using the warehouse for over a year.
The mezzanine floor was installed by a vendor in May 2024. Mr Hairul said he was assured by the vendor - whom he declined to name - that the mezzanine floor would be strong enough to store his carpets.
The two adults who were taken to hospital were Mr Hairul's friends, one of whom is the mother of the two children.
A Building and Construction Authority (BCA) spokesperson told The Straits Times: "The partial collapse of the steel platform and racking system did not affect the structural integrity of the building."
