He dies after falling forward just as the train pulls into station
By
Maria Almenoar and Esther Tan
Police at Bukit Batok MRT station yesterday, where a man died in a morning accident. The accident delayed the train service for about 20 minutes. -- PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO
A 59-YEAR-OLD man was on the platform of the Bukit Batok MRT station when he was hit by a train early yesterday.
Mr Chua Leong Hua died at the scene, in what the SMRT believes is the first incident of its kind. He is believed to have fallen forward just as a train pulled in.
His head hit one of the carriages as the train went past. The impact threw him backwards onto the platform.
Trains approach the station at average speeds of between 40kmh and 60 kmh, slower than the 70kmh they keep between stations.
SMRT said the accident delayed the train service for about 20 minutes, affecting over 400 passengers.
The passengers on the train involved in the mishap were asked to alight and they were put on the next train that pulled into the station.
The train which hit Mr Chua was sent to the SMRT depot.
The incident occurred before 6am, and several early-morning commuters saw what had happened.
The police confirmed that they had interviewed some of these witnesses, but declined to say more.
They are also reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, which shows Mr Chua waiting on the platform for trains headed towards the Jurong East Interchange.
His neighbour, Mr Zulkarin Lumbri, 46, said he was locking up his bicycle when he saw Mr Chua headed for the station platform with another man, a casual acquaintance of theirs.
The pair were on their way to work, he said.
A little later, said the 46-year-old who works with horses at the Turf Club, he saw the second man walking out alone.
Said Mr Zulkarin: 'His face was pale. He said he was standing behind Mr Chua and saw him fall forward and hit his head on the side of the train, and there was a loud bang.'
The man, understood to live nearby and who works at the Chinese Garden, was possibly the person standing nearest to Mr Chua at the time.
Mr Chua's wife told Chinese evening newspaper Lianhe Wanbao yesterday that her husband, who was on medication for high blood pressure, had complained about feeling unwell recently.
A neighbour, retiree C. S. Tan, 70, also said that Mr Chua had talked to him about feeling poorly.
'He said he was not feeling well and had been going to see a doctor,' said Mr Tan.
Accidents like this one will be prevented soon, when platform screen doors are erected for all above-ground stations by 2012.
Underground stations already have screen doors that bar access to the track.
Pasir Ris, Jurong East and Yishun stations, all above-ground, will have 1.5-m tall doors fitted by the end of this year.
The remaining 33 above-ground stations may be similarly retrofitted following the trial run.
