Violent incident at Orchard Central leaves five injured on New Year’s day

SINGAPORE – In a shocking incident on New Year’s Day, five individuals were hospitalized with knife wounds after an altercation on the 11th floor of Orchard Central Mall at approximately 4 am.

The incident prompted an emergency response from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who received a distress call at 4:10 am on Monday (1 Jan) at 181 Orchard Road, the address of Orchard Central.

According to a police spokesman, the victims, aged between 18 and 30, were attacked by a 30-year-old man who was subsequently arrested for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. Investigations into the motive behind the attack are still ongoing.

Blood stains were visible across a 200-meter stretch on the 11th floor, which houses a dance club, a steakhouse, and a restaurant.

The Ark 11 dance club, where some of the bloodstains were found, declined to comment on the incident, stating that it occurred outside their premises after closing hours.

Cleaners at the mall reportedly removed most of the bloodstains, leaving only traces for the early morning workers to discover. Witnesses, including a gardener and a mall employee, described the scene as unusual and disturbing.

This incident follows a similar violent episode just two weeks prior at Pasir Ris West Plaza, where a 61-year-old man allegedly slashed three individuals at a mobile phone shop. Preliminary investigations suggested a prior relationship between the assailant and the victims.

Knife-related crimes have been a cause for concern in Singapore, with approximately 150 incidents annually from 2017 to 2021, involving murders, robbery, rioting, and serious injuries.

Authorities note that a significant portion of these incidents occur in residential areas and other public spaces.