Jeremyphotobooth posted two shocking videos (link not working/see update below) that shows two men committing suicide on two different MRT tracks (Yishun and Admiralty stations) - THE favourite way to commit suicide in Singapore nowadays. A friend once asked me what does SMRT (the company that operates the train service here) stands for? She said SMRT means "Suicide Mass Rapid Transit". I couldn't disagree more.
Are platform screen doors such as the ones in Hong Kong (see picture above) the answer to Singapore's MRT suicide problem? I'm all for full height platform screen doors to make it impossible for one to jump onto the MRT track. Half height or chest level ones can still be breached by climbing over them.
SMRT has said that installing these protective barriers costs a lot of money but I think that they should just go ahead and do it for the sake of public safety and to prevent more suicide cases. Another solution is to make the trains slow down considerably before they reach the station but that will obviously delay the timings of the trains.
(via Tomorrow.sg)
Update: SMRT confirms the authenticity of the videos and say that they are investigating how they got leaked.
Update: Metacafe and YouTube have removed the videos. If you're lucky, you can still find them hosted on other video sites. Jeremyphotobooth who I mentioned in my post above, has been called to the police for questioning. He has removed the videos. Another blogger who some believed to be the first who posted the videos on his Multiply site has informed me that he too has taken down the videos.
Update: Some of you informed me that one of the videos can be found on LiveLeak.com. It even made it to LiveLeak's featured videos a couple of days ago. Singabloodypore also has the videos.
Update: A list of MRT deaths plus another person hit by the train today (Friday, March 2, 2007)
Remember kids, don't jump down MRT tracks ok.
33 comments:
I will go puke now!
Knowing SMRT and the gahmen very well, they will increase the fares if they install these platform doors on all the open air stations.
It says the video is taken from a close circuit camera but why is it shaking?
Looks like it is taken from a handheld video cam!
sad... just sad.
I expected to see blood splattering onto the platform above or onto the front of the train.
i hate to say this but all these people are really a nuisance.
want to die, die somewhere else lah. don't make problems for other people!
its so unbelievable!!
It should be - Suicide (by) Mass Rapid Transit.
Call me a sadist, but it would be better if we can hear the audio of what happened.
all mrt trains can slow down manually.
they can slow them down at about 20m from the station.
by the time they reach the platform, they are moving so slow that anyone who want to commit suicide will fail.
Love all those suicide ads appearing to the right of your post.
:oP
Which station was this, and when did it happen, do you know?
it is stupid to commit suicide on a mrt track because you still have to get into the station and pay for a ticket just to die.
GROSS!
jdsg: Both in december. yishun and admiralty stations.
We cannot stop people from killing themselves but we can surely make it more difficult for them to do so.
The guy in the second video mistimed his jump!
they will only do something when there are one suicide case a week.
> primus said...
it is stupid to commit suicide on a mrt track because you still have to get into the station and pay for a ticket just to die.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I think MRT should install those full height platform screen doors. It is basic safety not only to prevent suicides but also prevent others from falling into the tracks.
The only reason why underground stations have platform doors that cover all the way to the top of the ceiling is because SMRT doesn't want to waste their aircon.
can sense that was gross when read those descriptions/comments, nvr wanted to watch it ><" make me sleepless :s
those ppl just sad :( suicide dont make things go well, go get some help, counselling anything then suicide -.-" man... geee...
Oh the irony.. In my language, Slovenian, SMRT means death.
I am glad that these videos got leaked out. At least it gets people to talk about them and the authorities can look into problem and find a solution.
The MRT is used by thousands and thousands of commuters daily. There should not be an interruption to the service every time when someone jumps down the track so the best way is to install the platform doors. A lot of countries with similar rail systems have done this so why can't Singapore where the standards of safety are supposed to be high?
Want to die can but don't make people late for their appointments liao!
muz be one of the mrt guys leaked the videos.
A comment on both videos.
What was the man in blue doing on the side of the tracks. Why wasn't he spotted by the security cameras. Worse couldn't the driver see a strange clump to one side of the tracks.He does after all have a full view of the entire tracks in front of the train.
The second incident shows the man clearly having the intent to jump. He is nervous and fidgety. Nobody seems to have noticed that.
that is seriously ..
the first video is worse than watch final destination ..
SHIVERS MAN.
and like, in the second video, did the guy survive .. cuz it look as though he managed to go underneathe the train .. however, his head must have hit somehting .. OUH MY GOD.
so gross.
Both men died.
likedat clementi n admiralty stations surely got ghosts one
which r the other stations that got suicides huh?
Think instead of donating money to help the family members SMRT should make the family members pay for the damages. Tht way, nobody would ever dare to think about commiting sucide by leaping down the plattform
vincent, told u d, sg no good hk better, even w the mtr doors.
Insensitivity to the families of the deceased aside, I think it was great that such videos got leaked.
It goes to show how f**ked up SMRT is. How could a man have crawled under the platform unnoticed by staff or even other passengers? That Yishun suicide was 100% preventable.
And I think the police are over-reacting abit. I suspect it is the police officers (probably NSFs) themselves who leaked the video.
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