Tiong Bahru residents climb up to 25 storeys after 3.5-hour power outage across 2 blocks
Residents of Blocks 7 and 8 at Kim Tian Place were left without electricity for nearly 3.5 hours on July 21, with some having to climb multiple flights of stairs after the lifts stopped working.
Stomper GC said the power outage started at around 10.30pm. He was taking a shower when the lights began flickering and the entire unit suddenly went dark.
“I thought it was only my unit but heard my neighbours asking if they had a power trip as well,” said the Stomper.
After checking the circuit breaker, the family realised the outage was affecting the entire block.
Block 8 was also initially affected, with the outage later extending to the upper floors and eventually the void deck and the rest of the block.
According to the Stomper, residents promptly contacted SP Group and were told that personnel were on their way.
By around 11.30pm, SP Group personnel allegedly informed residents that repairs could take about three hours.
With the lifts not working, residents who wanted to return home had to use the stairs instead.
The Stomper said his father, who had returned to the car park, decided to climb the stairs and was accompanied by some younger residents.
However, some elderly residents remained at the void deck as they were unable to make the climb.
“It was a tough climb as there are no lights and the top floor is (the 25th floor),” said the Stomper.
GC observed that the void deck at Block 8 regained power at around 1.30am, while electricity was restored to his family’s unit at around 2am — more than three hours after the outage began.
He described the incident as a difficult experience for residents who were returning home from work, particularly elderly residents who could not use the lifts.
“I’m just surprised, I thought every building had a backup electrical system but it was also down,” GC said.
He also questioned whether solar panels installed on the roof could provide backup electricity during such outages.
Town Council: Power outage caused by incoming power supply issue
In response to queries from Stomp, Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC) said on July 24 that the outage was caused by an incoming power supply issue.
“SP PowerGrid carried out restoration works and arranged for a temporary power supply for the affected blocks,” said a spokesperson from TPTC.
TPTC said the temporary power supply cables had to be safely installed and connected before electricity could be restored.
“Throughout the outage, Town Council staff were on site to monitor the situation and assist residents, including helping those who required access to their homes while lift services were unavailable,” added TPTC.
Resident Network volunteers also checked on affected residents to identify anyone who needed help.
TPTC said it remained in close coordination with SP PowerGrid and monitored the situation until power supply was fully restored.
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