SINGAPORE, March 12 — At least two people were injured after a van reversed into a crowded coffee shop in Tuas at lunchtime on Friday (March 12), hitting several tables and a stall.

The incident at Canteen Chuang Hock at Gul Street 3 occurred at around 12.40pm, at a time when hundreds of patrons were having their meals.

An elderly woman who was tending to a fruit stall, as well as a customer, were taken away by two ambulances, said an eyewitness at the scene. Their injuries did not appear to be severe, though the man was bleeding from his scrapes and the woman had to be placed on a stretcher.

TODAY has contacted the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force for more information.

Kevin Lim, an engineer in his 30s, told TODAY that he heard a sudden screeching sound, and caught sight of a silver van barrelling into the coffee shop and towards him. He escaped injuries as he was around a metre away from the van’s path.

"But there was one guy who was pushed and dragged on the floor by the tables that the vehicle hit. It happened very quickly because the van was accelerating,” said Lim. 

The van drove more than 5m into the premises of the coffee shop, smashing a brick divider and pinning the elderly woman in her shop, he added.

Everyone was shocked, said Lim, adding that people reacted quickly to help the two people who were injured.

The van reversed more than 5m into the coffee shop, smashing a brick divider and pinning an elderly woman in the fruit stall that she was tending, an eyewitness said. — Picture by Kevin Lim via TODAY

The driver, who looked to be in his 50s, was cooperative and had checked on the people he hit, said Lim. He also gave his contact details to another driver, as the van had also hit his parked car.

Lim had also parked his car beside the van, which like him, escaped any damage.

"I’m just happy to be alive,” he said. — TODAY