SINGAPORE: A man has been arrested following a knife attack in Hougang that left one female employee of a hardware store gravely injured and the store manager with cut wounds.
The attacker, who is said to be a deliveryman, was also injured in the incident which happened at Block 210 Hougang Street 21.
A woman was heard screaming on Dec 10 at about 11am at Quan Long Nippon Paint hardware store, which is located next to Kovan Market and Food Centre, just before the incident.
Witnesses said the assailant, who has been spotted making deliveries to the hardware store, pulled out a knife in the shop and attacked the woman, who tried to run but was unable to get away.
The store manager intervened and wrestled with the man but was injured in the process. According to witnesses, the female victim suffered multiple cuts to her back.
The attacker also suffered injuries in the incident.
Witnesses said paramedics were at the scene minutes later, while heavily armed police officers quickly secured the area.
All three were taken to hospital, with the attacker escorted by police officers.
Police had cordoned off the hardware store and the adjacent fruit stall and jewellery shop when The Straits Times arrived at around 2pm.
A woman in her 60s working at a nearby department store said she heard loud screaming just before the incident.
“We heard a woman screaming, and some people went to see what was going on,” said the woman, who declined to be named.
“They came back quickly and told everyone to hide in the store because there was a man with a knife.”
She said staff and several customers of the department store then hid inside the shop until the police came.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said they took two people to Changi General Hospital and another person to Sengkang General Hospital after receiving a call for assistance at 11.05am.
The Straits Times has contacted the police.
This is a developing story. - The Straits Times/ANN
