All new MRT stations are protected against floods caused by freak storms. But the Bencoolen station on the yet-to-open Downtown Line 3 was partially flooded last Friday by water that came from within.

Video clips showed the water falling like rain in the facility, with close-ups of the defective pipe.

A spokesman for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times a water pipe in the station burst at the connecting sections of the pipe's elbow location at about 2.30pm on March 3.

"Water was immediately channelled into the drainage pits and the valve was shut down within 15 minutes. There was no damage to any major equipment or inconvenience to stakeholders. The water pipe at the elbow location has since been reinforced to make it more rigid," added the spokesman.



Still images from a video provided by a Straits Times reader show water gushing from a defective water pipe (above) in the yet-to-open Bencoolen MRT station and pooling. The fault has since been rectified. PHOTO: ST READER



LTA said the station is still on track to open by the end of the year