Lessons from the Hotel New World Disaster

On 15 March 1986, the Lian Yak Building at the junction of Serangoon Road and Owen Road, more commonly known as Hotel New World, collapsed in a less than a minute, burying numerous people amidst the rubble.

 Immediately after the collapse, the rescue teams were at the site, trying to pull people out of the rubble.  The teams worked day and night and eventually managed to rescue 17 people.  But 33 people lost their lives.  To   mark the event, MHA together with the National Library has put together an exhibition and run a series of talks.  I attended the talk on 8 July 2012, by Dr Edward Pang, on "Disaster Preparedness: A Medical Perspective".  In his talk, Dr Pang drew inspiration from the Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared".  He highlighted not only what the country and community needs to do in preparation but what we as individuals can contribute.  For example, training in first aid and CPR, ensuring that we have some basic supplies at home in case of an emergency, and so on.  

Dr Pang also drew many important lessons which can be applied outside the disaster zone: the importance of innovation, and common sense.  He told simple examples to prove his point: using broken furniture and/or doors to improvise splints, and the use of perfume to disguise the smells under the rubble and thus make it easier and more tolerable for the rescue team to do their work.  I asked Dr Pang what he felt was the key factors for successfully tackling  a disaster: his response - discipline, clear-thinking and presence of mind.  Preparation, and practice, are key to ensuring that we keep our cool and respond when disaster strikes.  He gave the example of how years of practice setting drips served him well, when he had to set up a drip whilst lying on his stomach, in a dark and cramped environment.  (The victim's leg was pinned down by rubble.  Medical intervention helped save her leg, and ensured that her other functions, including kidney function, continued to work well.)

Preparation.  Practice. Presence of mind.  Indeed, critical requirements to meet disasters, both great or small.

Dr Pang ended his talk with a short tribute to his late colleague, Dr Hanif Singh, who had died a few years ago. At the time of the Hotel New World Disaster, Dr Singh was a young Medical Officer.  Bravely, he volunteered to go into the tunnels to provide medical care to those beneath.  Dr Pang tried to discourage Dr Hanif, but Dr Hanif in his turn reminded Dr Pang that he was a family man.  Dr Hanif continued, "If I die, I am alone.  My family will not suffer."  In the event, both doctors went through the tunnels (together with the SAF doctors).  It was this indomitable spirit of self-sacrifice which drove the Hotel New World rescue team, much honour and praise to them.

After the talk, I walked around the exhibition area.  This covered the background to the collapse, and the results of the enquiry into its causes.  The shocking news was that apparently the building owner was so stingy, that he did not want to spend money on a proper architect to draw up the building plans, and cut corners on a lot of the building requirements.  Whilst he lost his life in the ensuing disaster, unfortunately his negligence cost many others their lives as well.  For more information, check here.

It has been a long time since I have posted a poem on this blog, but somehow in writing this post, I was reminded of Rudyard Kipling's inspiring poem, "If", on a father's lessons on life to his son.  So I thought I'd reproduce it here.


"If -"


If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and  Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much.
If youcan fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is  more, you'll be a Man, my son!