Jurong wet market gutted beyond repair, will be demolished

SINGAPORE — Demolition work on the wet market in Jurong West Street 41, which was gutted in a fire on Tuesday, could begin as early as this week.

The professional engineer appointed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has found that the stalls are beyond repair.

The roof of the market has caved in, and the columns supporting it are slanted and cracked.

Efforts to help stallholders move on are now being ramped up. One option for them is to move to vacant stalls at other markets, but few have expressed interest in this option.

So to help those who do not wish to move, a job fair focusing on the food and beverage sector will be held on Oct 27 at Jurong Green Community Centre.

“Some of them have been working here and doing business here for decades ... so they’re very used to the environment here, and they may not want to choose somewhere that is even two to three kilometres away,” said Member of Parliament (Jurong) Ang Wei Neng. The fire has left another problem, however: Residents are complaining of a foul smell from the site, and shop owners nearby say it has hurt their business.

“Many people don’t want to come here to buy spectacles because of the smell. They’re going elsewhere. The number of customers has dropped by 10 to 20 per cent,” said Mr Victor Lau.

The HDB says the stench is caused by the food items left in the wet market, and the authorities have been clearing the site and conducting daily disinfections to get rid of the smell.

On Saturday, Lim Ying Siang, 41, was charged for allegedly using styrofoam boxes to set fire to the market. And yesterday, for the first time since the fire, stallholders were able to enter the site to see their stalls, or what is left of them.

“Everything’s gone. The damage is too severe. I thought I’d be able to get something, but there’s nothing left,” said Mr Tay Quek Hua.