SINGAPORE: The hotlines of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and police, as well as those of hospitals and banks, could not be reached on Tuesday in an unprecedented islandwide disruption involving Singtel’s telecommunications network.
“Members of the public who are experiencing difficulties reaching us at 995 or 999 can SMS SCDF at 70995 or SPF at 70999 instead,” said the police. “The safety and well-being of the public is our top priority. We will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.”It is not known how many people were affected by delays in reaching emergency services.
“Our patients were, however, still able to manage their appointments or send in their queries via the NUHS app and our e-mail channels,” said the spokesperson, adding that its phone lines were fully restored by 5.35pm. “One thing I was very worried about was the 999 and 995 numbers,” he said. “What happens if there’s a fire?”
Chan Chiew Yen was not able to use Nets when she tried to pay for skincare products at Takashimaya at around 5pm.