SINGAPORE - Shoppers and stores at Bishan's Junction 8 Shopping Centre were left in the dark on Sunday (April 9) morning after a power trip cut electricity to parts of the mall for seven hours.
The trip occurred at about 7am on Sunday morning, affecting 20 stores and affecting business, Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday (April 10).
Shops affected at the mall at 9 Bishan Place include electronics chain Best Denki, BreadTalk, FairPrice supermarket and several restaurants.
Some of the amenities such as escalators, washrooms and air-conditioning were affected by the power cut.
One employee of an electronics store who declined to be named told Shin Min that business was halted temporarily as a result.
"The escalators weren't working, and the crowd lessened," he said, adding that business dropped by at least 50 per cent as they lost potential sales from the Sunday crowd.
A shopper who gave her name as Madam Lin, a 53-year-old housewife, told Shin Min that she had planned to buy groceries at the supermarket, but left as there was a blackout.
Junction 8 posted an apology on its Facebook page at 1.50pm on Sunday.
"Dear shoppers, thank you for your patience and support," it said. "The mall's power supply has been restored and all the stores are open for business. We look forward to welcoming you in our mall."
One disgruntled shopper said on the post that the mall was "too warm to be in" and that FairPrice was closed.
The post has since been taken down.
Junction 8's centre manager Ms Maggie Chua told The Straits Times on Monday (April 10) that the power trip occurred in the mall at about 7.20am on Sunday, causing a partial power failure that affected about 20 tenants.
"We immediately activated our contractor to look into the matter and investigate the cause of the power trip. After resetting the electrical system, the disrupted power supply was progressively restored from 1.30pm and fully restored by 2.30pm yesterday," she said.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to the affected tenants and shoppers, and will continue to provide assistance where required."
