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A man was trapped in his newly-upgraded HDB flat toilet for two hours after the freshly-installed folding bathroom door lock got jammed and failed to open.

The incident took place on Sep. 2 at a unit at Block 270 Bangkit Road in Bukit Panjang, according to Shin Min Daily News.

Week-long renovation

The home improvement works started on Aug. 26 and was completed on Sep. 2.

The man, whose surname is Huang, told the Chinese media that his 91-year-old mother was the first to take a shower in the bathroom next to the kitchen.

After she was done, Huang entered the bathroom at around 1am and helped to clean it up before showering.

However, he realised the door lock was jammed and he could not exit the toilet when he was done with his shower.

Huang added that the locking mechanism is located at the top of the folding door.

Called out to wife for help

As he was unable to open the door on his own, he hit the door for about an hour before his wife heard him.

She was in the room watching a show and came out to check what the ruckus was all about.

Spent 2 hours in toilet

They then tried to open the lock together and spent another hour on it.

Huang said: "In the end, I used a screwdriver to pry open the gap in the door."

The husband and wife resorted to using brute force to open the door.

The man's fingers became bruised as a result.

He added: "Doors with locking mechanisms located at the top are very difficult to open. I'm also worried that [the lock] will become rusty after some time and cause us to get trapped inside [the toilet] again."

Wife doesn't dare lock door

Huang said his wife does not dare to lock the toilet door now, in the event the same thing happens again.

He also said he is worried for the safety of his elderly mother, who lives with him.

He said: "If we are not home, and if something similar happens, she might not know what to do or how to call for help, especially if she doesn't bring her phone with her to the toilet."

The relevant authorities has since been informed of the incident and will replace the door with a new one.

However, the man said he hopes a different type of door can be installed instead.

Huang said he is willing to top up the difference for doing so, and is in the midst of discussions with the relevant authorities.

He has also asked around about the cost of installing a different type of door should talks fall through, and has been told that buying a door from an external party would cost S$400.

All media via Shin Min Daily News