Housewife Margaret Thong, who has an apartment on the 11th floor of Tribeca by the Waterfront, close to where a World War II bomb was found, was one of the first to return to her condominium after it was safely detonated yesterday.
"I did not go too far from the area because I was worried about my home. There is some dust in my apartment and one or two things fell off the shelves but I am glad it is over," the 48-year-old said.
Ms Saya Yuan, who had rented a place in one of the other affected condos, packed an overnight bag yesterday.
Leaving her home at 7.50am, the 25-year-old, who works in the health supplements industry, said she was checking into a hotel for two nights and had already made plans to move out of her condo at the end of the month.
"I know the authorities have taken care of it, but I'm still really worried that there will be remnants (of the bomb).
"Some of my friends actually flew overseas, so what I'm doing is already less extreme," she said.
Other residents made special plans for the day. Ms Aditi Krishnakumar, a Mirage Tower resident, decided not to send her three-year-old daughter to childcare, and instead took leave from her job at a hedge fund to take care of the child.
They headed to a holding area set up in the school hall of River Valley Primary School by the police, where at least 13 police vehicles and one Singapore Civil Defence Force fire engine were parked.
The 35-year-old said: "We are going to go to the holding area for a short while because it is still too early in the morning to do anything. I might take my daughter to the library or visit some friends later but it definitely has changed my Monday plans."
Residents told to stay away as WWII bomb is detonated: More than 600 homes had to be vacated for 11 hours yesterday and nearby roads were closed to detonate a World War II aerial bomb. The 50kg bomb, discovered at a construction site in Jiak Kim Street, was deemed unsafe to be moved and had to be detonated on-site. The bomb was placed into a large trench in the ground, along with sandbags, and concrete blocks were erected around it to control the effects of the explosions. The first explosion was heard at 11am. The bomb was successfully disposed of at about 4.35pm, police said. PHOTO: SINGAPORE ARMY
Several tourists staying at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel, which also closed its swimming pool and gym during the operation, said they were unperturbed, as they were used to such controlled explosions in their countries.
Here on a three-day holiday from Britain, a man in his 30s said it was "exciting and surprising" that his trip coincided with the event.
"I've experienced it in the United Kingdom before, though, so I'm not too worried," he told ST, as he booked a Grab car to leave the affected area.
