Man dies after falling into dough-making machine
'Burning smell' leads to discovery of elderly bakery owner's body
Two people were killed in unusual circumstances in food-related accidents yesterday.
The first incident occurred around 3pm when Mr Ng Sew Kuang, the elderly owner of Ng Kian Seng Confectionery in Bedok, died after falling into a dough-making machine while preparing red bean paste.
In another case about an hour later, a woman, 58, died after she was hit by a cargo hoist at a food caterer in Admiralty. (See report below.)
SHOCKED
Workers at the Bedok bakery were shocked by Mr Ng's death after they noticed a burning smell coming from the machines on the second storey.
A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman told The New Paper that it responded to an incident at Block 17 Bedok South Road at 3.05pm.
A police spokesman said they were alerted at 3.06pm, and a 73-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The police are investigating the unnatural death.
A worker told The New Paper that the victim was her boss.
The woman, who declined to be named, added: "No one was around him when the incident took place, but a strong burning smell made us suspect something was wrong."
Madam Zhu Xiao Wei, who works at the beauty salon next to the bakery, said Mr Ng's daughter rushed into her salon to ask her to call for an ambulance.
"I thought it was a minor accident at first. I still cannot believe that he died," she said.
Madam Zhu said she was close to Mr Ng, whom she had known for about seven years.
"Being neighbours, we talked all the time. He was a warm person, and everyone here knew him.
"I have seen the machines upstairs before, and they are all big. I cannot imagine how his last moments must have felt, being trapped in one of them."
The Straits Times did a feature on the confectionery in 2014. For more than 40 years, Mr Ng and his wife, Madam Lee Sai Kiow, had started work at 4am every day and made everything by hand and from scratch.
The bakery, started by Mr Ng's paternal grandfather more than 70 years ago, is known for its traditional goodies, such as tau sar piah and wife cakes. - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHERLYN SIM
Woman decapitated in industrial accident at food caterer
A woman, 58, was killed in an industrial accident at a food caterer in Admiralty yesterday.
The New Paper understands she was decapitated after she got stuck between a platform and a faulty cargo hoist that she was checking.
The incident occurred at Thyme Food and Services located in Food Xchange @ Admiralty, an industrial facility for food manufacturers.
Thyme said the cargo hoist is used to transport goods inside its unit on the seventh-storey roof.
A police spokesman told TNP they were alerted shortly after 4pm and are investigating the unnatural death.
A Singapore Civil Defence Force spokesman said the woman was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.
One of Thyme's directors, Mr Lawrence Hee, 44, told reporters at the scene that the employee's work involved bookkeeping and procurement.
"She was someone with a strong sense of responsibility. She would watch your back and go beyond her normal duties," he added.
She started working for Thyme about two years ago after being made redundant by Mr Hee's wellness company where she worked for seven years.
He said her work was confined to an office area within the unit, away from the kitchen where the hoist was located.
"She shouldn't be anywhere near the hoist, but she went to help with something when the accident happened."
She was married with children and grandchildren, said Mr Hee, as his eyes welled up.
"I will need to face the family and offer them whatever support they need."
The body was taken away in a police van at around 8.30pm.
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