Engineer says he didn't notice hidden floor during inspection

He says 8th floor of building looked normal, like a typical office; some engineers say impractical to check all areas

Workers clearing objects from the unauthorised floor at The Alexcier on March 18. Engineers from the Building and Construction Authority found the building to be structurally sound. It said investigations are still ongoing and the demolition of the i
Workers clearing objects from the unauthorised floor at The Alexcier on March 18. Engineers from the Building and Construction Authority found the building to be structurally sound. It said investigations are still ongoing and the demolition of the illegal floor was completed on Wednesday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

The last time the building The Alexcier passed an inspection was in September last year.

The engineer who inspected the supposedly eight-storey, multi-use light industrial B1 building in Alexandra Road had not spotted the illegal ninth floor.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 05, 2019, with the headline Engineer says he didn't notice hidden floor during inspection. Subscribe