5 People Injured During National Day Celebrations in Simei

Some of us who were sleeping in on the morning of National Day might have woken up to the sound of several National Day medleys being played at National Day celebrations nearby. Singaporeans islandwide attended the National Day Observance Ceremonies in their respective areas, although there was one particular observance ceremony which stood out — the one at Simei.

Five residents who attended the National Day Observance Ceremony in Simei suffered injuries during the celebration. Here’s what happened.

Five People Injured During National Day Celebrations in Simei

On Friday (9 Aug), the Changi Simei ward held a National Day Observance Ceremony in an open field next to Eastpoint Mall from 8:30 am to 11:30 am.

The celebrations included games and band performances — something for every Singaporean.

However, a stage backdrop fell forward during the event. As a result, five residents were injured.

Thankfully, the injuries were only minor injuries such as cuts and bruises, according to East Coast GRC MP Jessica Tan.

Fortunately, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and organising committee of the National Day Observance Ceremony were on-site to render immediate care and assistance to the injured residents.

Huh? CERT is simi?

Well, if you didn’t know, CERT consists of a group of volunteers specially trained to respond to emergencies such as this incident. The volunteers are trained in basic first aid, evacuation and crowd control.

That’s why the CERT volunteers were able to respond to the incident at Simei’s National Day Observance Ceremony.

“Safety of our residents is our priority when organising events. Our team will continue to follow up with the affected residents and investigate the matter to ensure that this does not happen again,” Ms Tan added.

National Day Observance Ceremonies Islandwide

Even if you don’t stay in Simei, there was probably a National Day Observance Ceremony held in your constituency on National Day as well.

For instance, Pioneer SMC also held a National Day Observance Ceremony and Carnival Celebrations on National Day this year. The event included a community walk, an observance ceremony where residents came together to sing the National Anthem and take the pledge, and finally, carnival celebrations which included a lucky draw, live performances and games.

Residents in Bukit Panjang also enjoyed some ice cream, kacang puteh, and a lively sing-along session at the National Day Observance Ceremony held at the open space in front of Hillion Mall.

Earlier this morning, Jalan Kayu residents also held their own National Day Observance Ceremony.

Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like these other events saw any incidents mirroring that which happened at Simei’s National Day Observance Ceremony. Regardless, even if such unfortunate incidents do happen — touch wood — we can rest assured that the Singaporean community will always have our backs, the same way those at Simei’s National Day Observance Ceremony had the injured residents’ backs lah.