Collapsed false ceiling leaves Toa Payoh residents worried
Lack of action over disintegrating false ceiling irks residents of Toa Payoh block
For more than a year, residents at Block 9, Toa Payoh Lorong 7, said they have been seeing pieces of the false ceiling at the top floor falling onto the common corridor.
On March 18, after a heavy afternoon downpour, it took a turn for the worse when a chunk of the false ceiling and part of the facade fell 11 storeys down, leaving a gaping hole about 4m wide.
Fortunately no one was hurt.
Ten residents at the block told The New Paper it has been more than a year since they first reported the matter to the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council (BTPTC).
Last Wednesday, Mr Jimmy Ng, 29, an IT manager, also called TNP to voice his concerns over the safety of residents there.
"It's not just one part of the (false) ceiling - the whole section of the false ceiling looks like it's about to collapse," he said.
When TNP visited the block that day, a green tarpaulin was placed over the affected area.
Cracks were also seen in other parts of the false ceiling on the 11th storey.
Retiree James Ang, 87, whose unit is where the false ceiling had collapsed, said the tarpaulin was put in place last month.
"Apart from it being an eyesore, the tarpaulin blocks any light and wind from entering our unit, so it's very dark and hot.
"I hope people can quickly rectify the situation."
Mr Low Soom Hwa, 53, a building painter who lives in a ground-floor unit directly below the collapsed ceiling, is afraid for the safety of his two children, aged one and six.
"My kids always like to run around outside, so I'm scared debris might fall on them," he said.
When contacted by TNP, Member of Parliament for Toa Payoh East Saktiandi Supaat sought to allay their concerns about the false ceiling.
Mr Supaat said: "There is a plan to do a scheduled removal of all vulnerable ceilings which are at risk of falling.
"Work on Block 4 has already been completed, so we plan to start on Block 9 and 12 in the coming weeks."
He added it was a design issue that caused the false ceiling to undergo wear and tear due to the heat and rain.
The feature was first introduced 10 years ago to address residents' complaints about rainwater splashing into the corridor.
BTPTC told TNP in a statement workers were immediately deployed to remove all loose ceiling boards the day after the false ceiling fell in March.
A BTPTC spokesman said the canvas sheet was put up to prevent debris from falling.
She added rectification work was in progress and was expected to be completed by end-April.
In September 2016, a 5m concrete slab fell from the fourth storey of a flat along Tampines Street 23. No one was hurt.
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