SCDF rescues man, 54, who apparently locked himself inside Circuit Road flat

A 54-year-old man reportedly locked himself inside his Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat on Dec. 27.

The incident took place at approximately 12:20pm at Block 50 Circuit Road.

Air pack deployed at the foot of the block

According to Shin Min Daily News, they had received a tip-off from one of their readers, who reported seeing multiple police cars and a fire truck at the location.

Photos provided by the reader showed a safety life air pack deployed at the foot of the HDB block.

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers were also seen deployed at the floors above and below the unit involved.

Two of the rescue officers were seen trying to enter the flat's window from above while communicating with the individuals inside.

A male resident, who declined to be named, told Shin Min that the man had allegedly locked himself inside the unit and attempted to jump from the building.

He added that the police and emergency responders only left at around 3pm that day.

Bicycle chain lock on the unit's gate

When Shin Min later visited the unit, they observed that the main gate was secured with a bicycle chain lock,

The corridor outside the flat was strewn with debris, and a faint burning smell lingered.

It is believed that rescue officers had forced their way into the unit by sawing the gate open during the operation.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed receiving a call for assistance at Block 50 Circuit Road at around 12:20pm.

Upon arrival, officers established that a man had locked himself in a room within a residential unit.

Assessing that the man posed a potential risk to himself, officers from the Special Operations Command and Crisis Negotiation Unit were deployed, along with personnel from SCDF.

SCDF officers deployed one safety life air pack, and rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were on standby as a precautionary measure.

At about 2.25pm, police officers managed to gain entry into the room. The man was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008.

No injuries were reported.

Man was known to be reserved

Another resident living on the same floor told Shin Min that the man involved rarely interacted with his neighbours, and was generally reserved.

"As far as I know, he lives alone, although a woman occasionally comes to visit him," he said, adding that he only learned of the situation when police arrived at the unit.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News