Granny, 82, suffers bloodied face after falling on SMRT bus

SINGAPORE - An 82-year-old grandmother suffered a bloodied face and bruises on her arm and shoulders after she fell on board an SMRT bus, reported the Lianhe Wanbao.

The incident occurred on June 14, at about 4.10pm.

Madam Chan Lan Ching was seated on board bus 178 when she took a tumble. She was travelling from Boon Lay interchange to Woodlands, where she was to meet her daughter.

Madam Chan told Wanbao that the bus had accelerated before turning right, causing her to fall from her seat to the floor of the bus.

She said she was flustered and did not know what she had knocked into, but there was blood streaming from her nose and lips. Her face, neck and arms were also aching.

Madam Chan said many people crowded around her to help, but the blood did not stop flowing even after they used up three packets of tissues.

Miss Julie Ann Marie Amen Sigue, 29, a childcare teacher who was on board the bus, told The New Paper that the driver was "very reckless".

"He made a very sharp turn to the right. The bus was almost flying," said Miss Sigue.

Miss Sigue, a Filipino, said there were five passengers on board the bus, including Madam Chan.
 
When the bus turned, Madam Chan's right cheek and mouth bumped into the seat across the aisle.

"There was so much blood on the floor. I looked for tissue paper and the tissue paper was soaked," said Miss Sigue, who tried to comfort Madam Chan.

The bus stopped 20 metres away from the junction. Two male passengers left, while another woman apologised for not being able to help as she was in a rush.

Miss Sigue said the driver looked worried and called the ambulance after an elderly passenger told him to do so.

Madam Chan was sent to the National University Hospital for emergency treatment and was warded briefly before being transferred to Alexandra Hospital.

When reporters from the Chinese evening daily visited her in hospital on Tuesday, Madam Chan's face was still swollen and bruised, especially around the eye and lip area.

She suffered a gash above her upper lip, which required 17 stitches, a fractured hand as well as bruising on her chest, and neck area. She complained of body aches as well.

The grandmother of 14, who has high blood pressure and diabetes, is not sure when she can be discharged, but hopes for compensation from SMRT.

But she was still able to crack a joke with reporters, saying that it is lucky she is 82-years-old and not 28, "otherwise, if I get disfigured, no one will marry me".

Madam Chan's daughter, Ms Christina Wu, 56, a civil servant, said she cried after seeing her mother in such a sorry state.

She could not recognise her mother at first as her face was swollen and there were blood clots all over it.

She told The New Paper: "I wanted to cry but I didn't want to cry in front of her in case I upset her. So I hid in a corner and cried."

An SMRT spokesperson said they are aware of the incident, after its service leader alerted SMRT's bus operations control centre. The company has been in touch with Mrs Tan's family to render their assistance and have visited her in hospital.

Investigations into the case are ongoing, said the spokesperson.