MRT passenger loses balance, places hand on door that opens and fractures her fingers in gap

Sarah Koh
The Straits Times
Aug 5, 2023

A woman’s little and ring fingers were fractured after they were caught between an MRT train door and the train wall, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday.

The incident happened when she was on a crowded train on the evening of July 29.

The 48-year-old, whom Shin Min identified as Ms Ng, told the Chinese-language daily that she was standing close to the train doors and almost lost her balance when it was approaching Lavender MRT station.

She instinctively placed her left hand on the train door for better support. To her horror, when the train door opened, her fingers were pushed into the gap between the door and the train wall, and she screamed in pain.

“Thankfully, some passengers saw what happened. There were three or four of them who came to help push the opening train door in the opposite direction,” said Ms Ng, who added that some others held on to her arm.

“Other people rushed to press the emergency button... MRT staff arrived and took me to their office to provide some basic medical treatment.”

Ms Ng said she spent more than $200 on treatment at the emergency department of a hospital.

She will be seeing an orthopaedic specialist soon for further treatment.

She told Shin Min that she was grateful for the kind-hearted passengers who came to her rescue.

In response to The Straits Times’ queries, Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, said station staff provided assistance to Ms Ng after being alerted to the incident.

He explained that train doors are moving parts which automatically open upon arrival at stations, and that in-train stickers are pasted near the doors to remind commuters not to lean against them, and to keep their fingers and hands away.

“We are sorry to hear that her hand was caught and we wish her a speedy recovery,” he said.