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Nerve-racking experience in a Singapore MRT train break down | essay for 9 year olds | Elijah Wee | Singapore

I did the following essay "Nerve-racking experience in a Singapore MRT train breakdown" during my December holidays when I was in Primary Three (9 years old).



“Finally, we are headed for home!” Amos and his sister Jane thought to themselves. They had dutifully accompanied their mother, Mrs Tan to City Hall to do some shopping. They were heading home. Their mode of transport was the eastbound MRT train.

When Amos, Jane and Mrs Tan entered one of the MRT carriages, they located three vacant seats. They immediately sat down. As the MRT train pulled out of the station and headed for the other stations, more and more commuters boarded it. Fifteen minutes into what was a smooth ride, the train screeched to a jerking halt, startling everyone inside it. Following that, the carriages were plunged into total darkness. The only light came from the mobile phones. The air was suffocating inside the carriage, which resulted in many commuters gasping for air. “Calm down. Everything will be alright,” Mrs Tan assured Amos and Jane, However, fear engulfed them as they trembled.

In the meantime, several commuters silently muttered a prayer while a young woman leaned back against her seat as she experienced nausea. Her heart was gripped with anxiety. Beads of perspiration dotted a middle-aged man’s forehead. He shifted uncomfortably and started to twist his fingers in sheer nervousness. A few minutes later, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his beads of perspiration off from his wrinkly forehead. Trying to lighten the mood, Mrs Tan told Amos and Jane some jokes.

It felt like eternity before the arrival of the Singapore Civil Defence officers. They sprang into action immediately. The doors were pried open forcefully and this was done to provide ventilation. Commuters were evacuated from the train and brought to the nearest train station. The next hour saw more Civil Defence teams helping out with the evacuation of the other commuters in the other carriages. Police officers were on had too and the began their preliminary investigations after interviewing some of the commuters.

A few days after the incident Channel News Asia (CNA) and the Straits Times reported on the cause of the blackout. It was the result of a damaged power rail between CityHall and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations. This caused the service disruption on the North-South line. Lights had gone off and ventilation was inadequate in some trains. Service on the North-bound and South-bound trains resumed four hours later on that day.

It was indeed a nerve-racking experience for everyone who had experienced the incident, especially Amos and Jane. It is for this reason that they hardly make use of the MRT trains these days as a mode of transport.

Have you had a similar experience before, like stuck in a tunnel?

By the way, if you like this essay, you may like to read:


See you again soon,
Elijah Wee, Singapore

Photo credit: ohhector / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

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