SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - He was eating at a Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC) foodcourt when a live rat, stuck in a glue trap, fell from the ceiling right in front of him.

"I lost my appetite immediately," Mr Kelvin Yeo, 37, told The New Paper (TNP).

The information technology manager was so upset that he took pictures and a video, and called TNP's hotline soon after.

Mr Yeo, a regular diner who works in the vicinity, was having duck rice when the rat fell at about 12.40pm at NTUC Foodfare, on level two of MBFC Tower 3.

He said: "Many onlookers had disgusted looks on their faces, with some squealing in horror."

The rat was struggling in the glue trap on the floor, about two tiles away from him, he said.

But some of the people in the packed food court did not notice it because it had fallen on the glued side of the trap and looked like a piece of cardboard. A cleaner eventually stepped on the trap to kill the rat.

Despite the unpleasant experience, Mr Yeo said he would return, adding: "The queues for restaurants around the area are long during the lunch hour.

"It is also a hassle to walk elsewhere for lunch. I don't have much of a choice."

But Mr Yeo said that he still "worries if there's an underlying rat infestation problem".

When contacted, a NTUC Foodfare spokesman said: "NTUC Foodfare has diligently enforced stringent pest control guidelines and measures for all our food establishments.

"Other than having our appointed pest controllers inspect and carry out proactive preventive measures fortnightly, rat traps are an effective part of our pest control strategy.

"It is unfortunate that one of the ceiling traps was dislodged and we have since reminded our pest control agency to ensure that they secure them firmly."

TNP understands that the rat traps are a part of NTUC Foodfare's routine pest control measures.