A photo of a massive block of concrete lodged squarely in a HDB flat toilet bowl made the rounds online in Singapore on Feb. 26, the day of the incident.
It was shared by Nicholas Lee, who is Ronnie, from the comedy Under One Roof:
He wrote that the incident happened to his friend's father's HDB flat, and advised people to check the ceiling of their old HDB flats.
Flat about 50 years old
The Final Destination moment turns out to have taken place in a three-room Toa Payoh flat in the east of the estate that is about 50 years old.
The incident of the falling concrete slab happened around 5pm.
Based on a Today report, no one got hurt.
But the flat is occupied by a foreign domestic helper in her 20s, a man in his 30s and a 90-year-old man.
10kg, half a metre length
According to the Today article, the slab of concrete was estimated to be around 10kg and half a metre in length.
The family is now receiving help from HDB in fixing the ceiling,
A team from the town council’s Essential Maintenance Service Unit (EMSU) arrived around 8pm on Wednesday to do a survey.
HDB staff showed up on Thursday at around 10am.
The repairs will take three days to complete and cost at least a few hundred dollars and a goodwill half price was offered, while the remainder is to be borne by HDB.
Spalling concrete in old HDB flats
Spalling concrete is a common issue for older buildings in Singapore, the HDB’s website states.
It is largely caused by carbonation, a natural deterioration process.
Steel bars embedded in the ceiling slab corrode, causing the concrete cover to crack and bulge.
It is the flat owner’s responsibility to repair any spalling concrete in their flat, HDB has said.
Any issues within a resident’s home is under HDB’s charge, while anything that happens outside of the flat will be the town council’s responsibility.