Tombstone, coffin found at construction site in Yishun

[hurley]

The tombstone and coffin were found while workers were carying out excavation works at a residential site in Yishun. …


The discovery of a tombstone and coffin at a construction site in Yishun on Monday has some residents living in the area spooked.

Construction workers were excavating a site at the foot of Block 711, Yishun Avenue 5 when they made the grim findings. The construction works were part of the HDB's lift upgrading programme.

The tombstone indicated that the deceased, Madam Sim Seok Inn, died in 1971 at the age of 83. Some clothes were found buried near the coffin.

Some residents have expressed their alarm over the discovery of the tomb.

While there was nothing to worry about, Zali H M, 57, said he would still try to avoid the area. "I will walk away from the lift. Maybe walk around it," said the retiree.

However, the main question going through his mind and some of the other residents is: "Why is there even a coffin here?"

According to a spokesman for the National Environment Agency (NEA), the burial site of the tombstone "may have been where a cemetery was once sited and then exhumed for public housing development by the HDB in the late 70s to the early 80s".

"Upon completion of the investigation and the confirmation that the site is indeed within the cemetery, HDB will carry out the necessary exhumation with a permit from NEA," she added.

Still, other residents expressed their shock over the finding. Housewife and mother of two children Norasmah, 40, immediately asked, "Why didn't they find it when they built these flats?"

Her sister, a 34-year-old housewife who wanted to be known as Anita, felt that checks should be done to ensure that there are no more coffins left underground.

She added, "If you find one, there might be others. Something should be done to appease the spirit."

Team supervisor of the lift upgrading project, Mohan, 35, said that offerings were made after the discovery with joss sticks and candles seen at the site.

Other residents though were unfazed by the incident.

One of them was Steven Lim, 48, a swimming instructor who said, "She has been dead for so long, so what is there to be scared about?

"If there were to be any hauntings, it would have happened long time ago. Why wait until now?"

Wu You Jin, 65, echoed the sentiments above, saying in Mandarin, "As long as your conscience is clear, you have nothing to worry about."

A police spokesman confirmed that a call was received around 12:30pm on Monday about a tombstone and some coffin remains being found at a construction site. He added that the matter has since been referred to NEA for action.

In March 2007, heavy rain uncovered some 34,000 earthenware urns under a hill near Block 299 at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Ring Road. A marble memorial tower nearby indicated that it was a burial ground.

Most of the urns were then reburied while remains from the broken urns were put in new containers and placed in the hollow space under the plaque in the centre of the memorial tower.

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/sing...-construction-yishun-20110322-214521-313.html