A pregnant woman got the shock of her life when a rat dropped from the ceiling and landed on her food tray at a Tangs food court last Saturday, Nov. 25.
The woman, who was 16 weeks pregnant, was having lunch with her family at Tangs Market in Orchard Road when the rodent fell from above and splashed some liquid on her hand and cardigan.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral online, shows the rat lying on its side on a food tray, twitching and moving its legs.
The woman’s mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told CNA that her daughter was “traumatized” by the ordeal and worried about the health of her unborn baby.
She said her daughter had to take medication prescribed by her gynecologist and visit the emergency department at Gleneagles Hospital, which cost them more than S$1,000.
The mother said Tangs offered the family a “wellness hamper” and a “S$200 gift card” as a gesture of apology, which she rejected as “unfair” and “an insult”. She said Tangs should be responsible for all the direct costs related to the incident, such as parking charges and annual leave.
Tangs confirmed the rat sighting in a statement on Wednesday and said it was working with the authorities to investigate the matter. It also announced a closure on Thursday for deep cleaning and sanitation works.
Tangs also said it had reached out to the affected customer and offered “assistance” and “support”.
