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He was having breakfast with his grandparents at the basement foodcourt of the Toa Payoh HDB Hub before opening his stall there when some of the lights went out.
Seconds later, water started to pour from the false ceiling above fast-food chain Popeyes, flooding the foodcourt.
A burst water pipe forced the Koufu-run Gourmet Paradise to shut for about three hours yesterday as workers scrambled to clean up the premises.
Mr Malcolm Li, 27, who owns a chicken rice stall there, told The New Paper: "It was as if it was raining. There was no warning at all, and there was quite a lot of water."
Another diner said a couple of minutes after the pipe had burst, a section of the false ceiling collapsed.
The student, 23, said: "There was a bang... (People) were quite shocked."
Mr Choo Teck Chuan, Koufu's chief operating officer, told The New Paper that business was disrupted between 8.55am and 11.30am. Upon investigation, it was found that the joint of the water pipe had given way.
Koufu apologised for the inconvenience caused.
Mr Choo added: "We will continue to closely monitor all facilities and also closely track the serviceability of all the operating equipment to ensure business continuity."
He said business at the foodcourt had resumed by noon.
Mr Li said the foodcourt was not crowded when the pipe burst, with about 20 people at his section, and no one was hurt by the collapsing ceiling.
For the food stalls, including Mr Li's, the closure caused some loss of business.
Mr Li said he opened only at about 1pm and missed a chunk of the lunch crowd, while an employee at Al Hadheerah Restaurant, who wanted to be known only as Mr Azmi, 35, estimated his shop had lost $400 to $500. - KOK YUFENG
https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/burst-water-pipe-forces-toa-payoh-foodcourt-close-three-hours
