Woman Locked Herself in Flat After Landlord Told Her to Leave; Even SOC Officers Were Called In

Often when we hear the word Yishun, our eyes seem to open way bigger.

For the stories we hear from this small town seems to come straight out of a movie, or from Stranger Things.

From cat serial killers to murders, the town has earned a reputation of its own.

This time around, a dispute between a tenant and her landlord has landed Yishun in the news again.

A 47-year-old lady was arrested under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act on September 27, after locking herself up in the room for four hours.

It was such a spectacle that residents from the blocks around the vicinity, were also at the scene to catch the rescue operations.

What happened

According to Shin Min Daily News, the tenant refused to move out of the flat after her 78-year-old landlord asked her to do so.

The tenant has been renting for a year at Blk 625 Yishun Street 61.

Worried that the tenant would commit suicide, the landlord called the police to seek assistance.

A neighbour, who did not wish to be identified, mentioned that there was an argument between the landlord and the tenant. The tenant then proceeded to lock herself in the room thereafter.

Another neighbour mentioned that the particular house unit has two tenants.

The neighbour had heard people arguing in the flat at around midnight a few days prior. She also saw someone throwing items out of the flat.

SPF and SCDF Brought Tenant to Safety

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) received a call for assistance at 9.07am, while the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a notification at 1.45pm to render help at the scene.

As seen in the video shared by a witness to Stomp, a safety life air pack was placed at the foot of the block.

A Special Operations Command (SOC) police vehicle was also spotted at the scene.

The tenant was eventually rescued by the officers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) by rappelling from the unit above.

More Help for People During COVID-19 Period

It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 is affecting the mental health of more people, and last month, experts said that “more cases of anxiety and depression can be expected in the coming months.”

The Ministry of Social and Family Development chief psychologist Vivienne Ng has this advice: “If you find yourself not able to function daily – having a poor appetite, or being unable to sleep properly, concentrate, low mood, for instance – please seek help early from a mental health practitioner.”

Singapore has also launched the National Care hotline since April to provide emotional and psychological support to those facing difficulties during the pandemic. The number is 1800-202-6868.

For other help, these are the contacts that might come in handy:

Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222

Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6385-3714

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788

SOS Care Text service is available through Facebook Messenger on the SOS official Facebook page.

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