Woodleigh MRT security incident: Officers in HazMat suits at scene
*UPDATE at 4.30pm on 18 April 2017 to add confirmation from Singapore Civil Defence Force that the “suspicious substance” was baking flour*
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers in hazardous materials (HazMat) suits were spotted at Woodleigh MRT station on Tuesday (18 April) afternoon, after a reported “suspicious substance” was found inside the station.
This substance was later confirmed by the SCDF to be baking flour, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on its Facebook page. Train services at the station were resumed at 4.20pm.
At the scene, station staff along with Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) officers were seen milling about. Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin was also on-site and said that he understood a “suspicious substance” had been found at the station.
“I think it is important at this time, (that) we let the police get on with their work. We should not speculate,” he added.
An SPF spokesperson said it had been alerted to the incident at 1pm, after which the station was temporarily closed. “Members of the public are advised to avoid the area. Updates will be provided when available,” said the SPF in an earlier post.
SBS Transit, which manages the North East Line station, offered free bus rides between the Serangoon and Potong Pasir stations during the temporary station closure.
