Tiles in Mountbatten resident's home crack & pop up 200m away from sinkhole, BCA says it's safe

On the night of Jul. 25, a man arrived home to the alarming realisation that some of his floor tiles had suddenly cracked and popped up.

The man, who declined to share his name but is in his 40s, initially assumed that it was caused by some construction activity nearby.

But the next day, a sinkhole opened up at Tanjong Katong Road South.

It was just 200 metres from his landed property at Mountbatten Road.

Safety concerns

Concerned, the man contacted his Member of Parliament Gho Sze Kee.

"I am worried there is more damage below the area," he said, adding that he has an 11-year-old child.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) subsequently inspected the property.

They informed him that the situation was safe and unrelated to the sinkhole, the man told Mothership.

He said that he accepted the conclusion as it was "their skill and certification", but he will nonetheless keep an eye out for other issues in the area.

The repairs will cost him about S$12,000.

Property is safe

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from the BCA confirmed that they had inspected the property with a professional engineer on the evening of Jul. 28.

It assessed that the property's structural integrity was not affected.

The defects, including the popping of tiles and a cracked glass panel, were determined to be non-structural in nature.

BCA had previously issued a statement saying that buildings near the sinkhole are not affected.

Investigations and repair works are ongoing. Construction works on site have also been halted.

Top image from Mothership reader