Blackout at MRT

By RE
Have you ever found yourself in total darkness? Well, I have and this was how it all happened. It all started on a Monday evening. Everyone, including myself, was flocking to the train station to await the arrival of the trains. I was among the crowd, waiting to get on board the “North-east” line.

In a flash, the train arrived at the station and without sparing a thought for others getting off the train, everybody started “charging” into the train carriage, elbowing themselves through the crowd. I waited by the side for the commuters to get off before squeezing into the carriage and got in just in time before the door slammed shut.

It was the peak hour and it was no wonder that the train was packed like sardines. The train was moving at a very fast speed, train stations passed in the wink of an eye while more and more people got in and out of the train. I was waiting for my station to arrive as I held onto the railings. Laughter and chattering filled the air. Despite the fact that everything seemed normal, I had an ominous premonition that something was going to happen.

Just when the announcement for the next station was about to be made, the train stopped and the lights went off. My heart skipped a beat. Piecing shrieks and shouts replaced the laughter and chattering. I could see nothing except the colour black and could feel many hands groping around trying to find their way around. My heart was palpitating louder than usual and my hands turned clammy. Apparently, the air-conditioning had also broken down.

“Must be a minor circuit-break,” I thought. “It’s nothing serious.” I decided to wait for the lights to be restored and for an announcement to be made over the public address system.

I waited. But nothing was heard and the scene remained as chaotic as before. I began to panic and a million “what ifs” flooded through my mind. “What if no one comes to rescue us?” “What if a train running down the track rams into us?” “What if…” At that juncture, a pungent smell broke my train of thoughts. I tried to search for the source of the smell and it led me to the back of the train. I saw orange, red sparks. I smelt it once again and a sudden thought dawned on me. A fire had broken out!

I had to do something before this fire starts spreading. I shouted at the top of my voice, “People! A fire has broken out! Please stay…” Before I could finish my sentence, pandemonium broke out. Commuters started hitting emergency buttons and charged out to the emergency exit of the train. I had no choice but to follow the crowd. Just when I was about to leave, I heard an audible scream coming from the back of the train. Curiosity kills the cat and it piqued me to investigate further. I traced the scream to its source and spotted a toddler crying. The fire would start spreading in no time and I had to get the toddler out. Without hesitation, I carried him and raced out of the train to safety. I found the rest of the commuters and all of us watched the fiery tongues of the fire slowly engulf the train. Meanwhile, someone dialled for the Civil Defence Force .

In a flash, the Civil Defence Force arrived at the scene and they got down to work almost immediately. Some started to put out the fire with hoses attached to underground pipes while the other firemen evacuated us to safety. We followed them in an orderly manner and upon reaching safe ground. I was still clutching the toddler’s hand. Out of the blue, I head a shrill voice amidst the noise, hollering, “Tim! Tim, where are you?” The toddler beside me reacted instantly and I guessed that it was his mother looking for him. We followed the voice and spotted a lady in her thirties, with jet-black hair flowing to her waist. She was looking anxiously around. I went forward and brought Tim to her and the moment she saw her beloved son, creases of worry vanished instantly from her forehead. She hugged her son tightly in her arms and thanked me profusely.

“How can I ever repay you?” the lady said in a voice full of gratitude.

“It is okay. Just remember to take care of your son,” I replied.

She flashed me a smile as if to say “I will” and I could not resist smiling back. As I watched both the mother and son leaving, hand in hand, I decided that it was time for me to head home too.

The next day, the incident was reported in the headlines. It turned out that the cause of the fire and blackout was due to technical fault and that the authorities were still investigating the matter. Fortunately, there were no casualties involved. After reading the papers, I reflected on that harrowing event. It has taught me the importance of remaining calm in a crisis and more importantly, the vulnerability of life.