How many workers do you think lived in this illegal dormitory with 2 toilets and 1 kitchen?

Cockroaches, blood trails from squashed bed bugs, and a dirty fridge. 

These were all found in a 4-room private apartment in Geylang, which was used as an illegal dormitory for as many as 44 foreign workers. 

Wooden partitions were used to create seven smaller rooms, which housed eight to 10 workers each, reports Lianhe Wanbao via Lianhe Zaobao.

There were only two toilets and a shared kitchen. 

Officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) raided the unit last Thursday (July 6) and discovered that the narrow corridors created by the partitions were serious violations of fire safety and created crowding issues. 

In a Facebook post by the Migrant Worker’s Centre (MWC) on Monday (July 10), it said that it had participated in the joint raid with MOM, after being alerted by a worker who had called its helpline. 

The post read:

“(It) is exactly the kind of practice that can result in serious accidents or loss of lives.”

A spokesman from MWC told reporters:

“The workers had to wake up very early every day and queue to use the only toilet which was serviceable.

“The bed bug infestation was so severe that the walls were stained by blood trails from the squashed insects.”

The spokesman added that some of the workers also extended power cords to charge their phones and even cook in their respective rooms, a practice which posed serious safety hazards.

There were also reportedly no laundry facilities and workers had to hang their wet clothes by their bed frames to dry them.

The MWC reminded migrant workers who may be living in the same conditions to sound out their circumstances, and said that their identities would be protected.