JEM ceiling collapse injures 3

Update: A day after JEM ceiling collapse, the mall is closed until further notice. According to inspections by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), there was a leak in the water-pipe and the weight of the water, which collected on the false ceiling, was a likely cause of the false ceiling collapse. BCA has ordered the building owner to close off the affected area and to get a professional engineer to check all the false ceilings in the mall and investigate the nature of the false ceiling collapse. The building owner has also asked its consultants to check the water pipes for any other signs of leakage.

JEM Mall's first floor ceiling collapsed due to a burst water pipeline and injured two yesterday night at 10:15 PM.

"I was walking and heard a loud sound coming from behind me. When I turned around, the ceiling just fell to the floor and water gushed out" a witness said. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said three people suffered minor injuries and had to be taken to hospital.

"I actually heard a very loud bump sound. I actually ran there because I saw everybody running. So when I got there, I saw the whole ceiling (at level two) collapsed... there was water rushing out of the pipes" another witness said.

Jem (Chinese: 裕廊东广场) is a suburban mall situated in Jurong East, Singapore. JEM is the first lifestyle hub in western Singapore with integration of shopping, entertainment and residence at the same location.
The mall is also directly connected to Jurong East MRT station and close to Jurong East Bus Interchange.

JEM ceiling collapse - Photo: The Straits Times

JEM ceiling collapse is the 3rd incident in the brand new mall in Jurong East. Last month, a deep fryer at NTUC FairPrice Xtra cought fire and 3 employees in the shop were injured. In another incident, a Nissan saloon caught fire in JEM's carpark last month. Jem's official opening was initially to be on 11 June 2013 but due to tenant permit issues, the opening of the mall was delayed.

H&M is expanding in Singapore and Asia

It has been almost 2 years since Swedish high street fashion label Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) opened its first flagship store in Singapore. Since than the company has already opened five stores in Singapore. The newest three H&M stores have opened their doors in JEM, VivoCity and Suntec City last month. The flagship F&M store is in Orchard Building and the second shop was opened in November 2011 in Ion Orchard.

H&M sales increased in Singapore in the second half of 2012 for 38% compared to the second half of 2011 mostly thanks to the opening of their second store in Ion Orchard.

Other than opening new shops H&M has also decided to add a 4th level to its Orchard Building store which will be dedicated to kid's department. The kid's department, currently sharing a floor with Manswear department, saw a very strong sale which brings 20% of Singapore's total sales for H&M. The kidswear prices in H&M in Singapore range from $7.9 for a jersey top to $49.9 for a jacket. H&M Kid's concept store will sell merchandise ranging from new born to pre-teens aged 8 years to 14 years. The 2,800-square-meter store currently spans three levels with a complete range of fashion and accessories for women, men, teenagers and kids.

By the end of 2013, H&M is planning to add 60 stores to its existing 148 stores across China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. H&M offers a reputation as an international brand as well as a value-for-money proposition. Since shopping for fashion is a very populat activity for many Singaporeans the international brands like H&M finds it quite easy to sell in Singapore. When the first shop was opened in Singapore in September 2011, there were long queues in front of the Orchard Building shop where many has waited for long hours to be the first few to enter the flagship store.

H&M Orchard Road store in Singapore
Photo Credit: His Style Diary

H&M Shop Locations in Singapore
1 Grange Road
239693 Singapore
+65-62351459

ION Orchard #B2-28
2 Orchard Turn 238801
+65-65098702

Jem
 #01-01, #02-01/02/03 and #03-01/02
608549 50 Jurong Gateway Road
+65-67347601

Suntec City Mall
#01-1002, #01-1006, #10-1007 and #02-1002C
038983 3 Temasek Boulevard
+65-62380908

Vivo City
Unit #1-19/20 098585 1 Harbour Front
+65-63769109


[1] - Sweden Dreams for Asian Markets, Urban The Straits Times - 05 July 2013