SMRT flood is more than 'sad' and 'embarrassing'

In Parliament on Tuesday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan repeatedly described the Oct 7 flooding incident as "sad" and "embarrassing" (Khaw outlines plans to prevent flooding of MRT tunnels again; Nov 8).

The impression I get from this is that the seriousness of the situation did not fully dawn on the minister.

"Sad" and "embarrassing" do not at all describe the situation accurately. The incident could have been tragic, with lives lost.

We know that the trains run on rails that carry electricity. Water and electricity don't mix without causing a disaster.

If passengers had to alight from the stranded cars in the flooded tunnel to escape the rising waters, can we assume that they would not have been electrocuted?

Anyone with some inkling of the situation on the ground would not have used mild words like "sad" and "embarrassing".

Thomas Lee Hock Seng (Dr)

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 09, 2017, with the headline SMRT flood is more than 'sad' and 'embarrassing'. Subscribe