Family faces significant loss after water pipe burst floods their newly renovated home in Yishun.
SINGAPORE: A newly renovated four-room HDB ground-floor unit in Yishun was flooded after a PUB underground water pipe burst on Monday (May 1). The family, who had just completed their renovation and was preparing to move in after the holiday weekend, faced an unexpected disaster.
A video showing a torrent of brown water flooding the unit was shared on the Sgfollowsall Instagram account on Tuesday (May 2). The post, captioned “My cousins’ house flooded yesterday, the house was going through renovation when the water pipe burst and water started pouring out into the house… this happened in Yishun, they have lost a lot of stuff, and it was so bad the cops and minister showed up even SPH,” highlighted the extent of the damage.
Mr Derrick Goh, the MP (PAP) for Nee Soon Link division of Nee Soon GRC, shared news of the incident on his Facebook page, confirming that the flooding occurred at Block 401 Yishun Green. He explained that the PUB underground pipe burst earlier that day, resulting in a flood that affected the ground-floor unit.
“Due to the water supply disruption, PUB had arranged for water wagons to supply water to the affected units. I rushed down after the Labour Day rally, and when I arrived, I met residents who were quietly filling up pails of water and were understanding of the situation,” Mr Goh wrote.
He praised the quick response of the estate cleaners from 800 Super Waste, who helped the family move furniture out of the flooded unit and began cleaning the space. Mr Goh also communicated with the residents, who shared that they had just completed their renovations and were preparing to move back in when the flood occurred.
To assist the affected family, Mr Goh reached out to the Yishun HDB General Manager to provide temporary accommodation, and the PA Grassroots offered emergency funds and helped store some of the furniture temporarily.
“This is an unfortunate incident and a stressful time for the affected family. I assured them that we will provide help wherever possible. We are working closely with PUB, TC, and the residents, and we will provide updates when relevant,” Mr Goh added.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the flat owner, a 52-year-old taxi driver, had spent approximately $100,000 on the renovation, new furniture, and decor since the project started in November last year. The flooding occurred around 1:00 PM on Monday, when the family initially mistook the sound of rushing water for rain. By 7:15 PM, the unit was fully cleaned.
