S'pore woman, 42, fell into drain in Buona Vista after cover shifted, pedestrians urged to use walkways

A woman was walking home from work when she fell into a drain and sustained a cut.

It turned out that a part of the drain cover was missing and she had fallen into the gap.

The incident occurred at around 10:30pm on Nov. 3 at the driveway The Oasis on Science Park Drive in Buona Vista.

In response to media queries, the management said that passing vehicles had caused the drain cover to shift.

They added that the area is inspected daily and advised members of the public to use designated sidewalks.

Working in the area for 10 years

The woman, surnamed Yang, 42, told Shin Min Daily News that she worked at a nearby restaurant for 10 years and walked past the spot daily on her way to the bus stop.

That evening, she was heading to the bus stop as usual when she fell into the drain.

Yang said she suffered a cut on her leg and was in such severe pain that she had to sit on the ground for 10 to 15 minutes before she could get up.

Her wound was later inflamed and filled with pus, as seen in a photo she provided.

Fortunately, a colleague was walking with her at the time and managed to grab her as she fell.

“Otherwise I might have fallen forward and injured my hands and face,” she said.

Yang added that her eight-year-old son was also present and was terrified by the incident.

The situation would have been worse if he had fallen in instead, she said.

Gap in drain cover

Photos provided by Yang showed that part of the drain cover was missing and that some sections were rusty.

She said she went to the hospital that night for treatment as a precaution.

"I reported the problem to the management two days later, but they did nothing but apologise and said it was a driveway, which made me feel very wronged," she said.

According to her, the management replaced the drain cover soon after learning about the incident but has not offered any further response.

"I am not asking for compensation, but they cannot just give a perfunctory apology and leave it at that," she said.

When Shin Min reporters visited the site recently, they found that the drain covers had already been replaced.

Statement from Cintech III Science Park

A spokesperson for Cintech III Science Park told Shin Min that they were aware of the incident involving a pedestrian injury in the driveway.

The spokesperson said the drain cover had shifted after a vehicle passed over it, creating a small gap.

They added that staff conduct daily checks and realign any covers that may have shifted to ensure safety.

Due to the frequent movement of heavy vehicles within the park, designated pedestrian walkways have been established around the building to ensure the safety of all visitors.

They also encouraged pedestrians to use the designated walkways and added that the safety and well-being of visitors and tenants remain the management’s top priority.

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