SINGAPORE - Instead of waiting for a rescue team to arrive, a group of residents at Geylang Bahru Block 95 managed to force open the doors during a lift breakdown on Monday (June 5).

A 38-year-old man, who was identified as Mr Liang, told Shin Min Daily News on Tuesday that he was waiting for the lift at around 5pm when the incident happened, trapping three residents inside the lift for about half an hour.

When the lift arrived on the ground floor, the door managed only a small opening before it malfunctioned and became stuck, he said.

Mr Liang then decided to force it open with the help of one of the residents inside the lift.

After about five minutes, they managed to create an opening large enough for the other lift passengers to go through.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Jalan Besar Town Council said on Wednesday that a lift breakdown was logged at 7.04pm on Monday and a rescue team arrived at 7.20pm.

"Upon their arrival, the rescue team observed that the lift door was opened and slanted. There was no one in the lift," said a spokesman for the town council.

The breakdown was caused by a misalignment of the lift doors, said the spokesman.

She added that the problem was fixed by lift technicians, and the lift underwent a check before it returned to being operational at 9.15pm that same day.

The town council spokesman added that in the event of a lift breakdown, the public should remain patient and wait for a rescue team to arrive.

"The public is advised not to force open the lift door as this may aggravate the lift issues. It may also cause potential injury to the person who attempts to force open the door as well as to the trapped passengers," said the spokesman.