SCDF conducts search and rescue operation with the help of SCDF K9 search dogs. (Photo: SCDF)
SINGAPORE: One worker has died and 10 others were injured after an uncompleted viaduct beside the slip road from Upper Changi Road East to the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) collapsed in the early hours of Friday (Jul 14).
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at 3.35am. About 60 SCDF officers, assisted by K9 search dogs, were involved in the search and rescue operation.
The uncompleted highway structure at Upper Changi Road East which collapsed, killing one worker and injuring 10 others.
The 10 injured workers were taken to Changi General Hospital (CGH) for treatment, SCDF said. A CGH spokesperson said that eight of the 10 have been admitted.
At 6.45am, the SCDF updated that search and rescue operations had been completed and all workers at the construction site were accounted for.
Eleven workers were on top of the structure before the collapse. The worker who was killed was Chinese national Chen Yinchuan.
Three other Chinese workers, an Indian worker and six Bangladeshi workers were injured.
One of the men taken to CGH said that the workers at the site were in a floodlit area when the accident happened. The lights then went out and a few workers slipped, with one of them catching his leg on a piece of concrete.
STOP-WORK ORDER ISSUED, CONSTRUCTION PERMIT REVOKED
In separate statements on Friday, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said they have launched investigations into the cause of the accident.
Construction firm Or Kim Peow Contractors was carrying out works to cast the decking for the new viaduct next to the slip road - which was closed to traffic - when the viaduct structure between two piers collapsed, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said.
Preliminary investigations indicated that corbels – brackets that help support beams – had given way, it said.
BCA later clarified in a statement that it was specifically the support structure (girder) and platform (deck slab) for one portion of the viaduct that collapsed during concrete works.
BCA said it has revoked the permit for construction works at the site, and has ordered engineers responsible for the project to submit a detailed investigation report.
More at Channel News Asia
COLLAPSED HIGHWAY CONTRACTOR OWNED BY PAP GRASSROOTS LEADERS
Or Kim Peow Contractor is the firm responsible for building the highway along Upper Changi Rd, but what's interesting is, it is owned by OKP Holdings Pte Ltd, whose Chairman and Directors are grassroots leaders!
Chairman Or Kim Peow is in Potong Pasir CCC and was awarded Public Service Awards a few times before. His 3 sons are Directors of the company (surprise surprise!) and were similarly awarded for their contributions to public service. Or Toh Wat is the Group Managing Director and chairs Potong Pasir CC's Management Committee. Another son, Or Kiam Meng, is the Executive Director and Patron of Anchorvale CC's Management Committee. The third son, Or Lay Huat, is a member of Tampines GRC, the First Vice Chairman of Tampines West CCC, and a Treasurer of the School Advisory Committee at East View Primary School.
And that's not all ok! Other directors of the company also held senior positions in the public sector. Chen Seow Phun was an MP from 1988 to 2006. He served as Minister of State for Communications, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, and Minister of State for National Development. He was Board member with the HDB, EDB, Port of Singapore and Singapore Power Ltd. Another director, Tan Boen Eng, also held senior positions at IRA, Singapore Pools and was a member of the Singapore Sports Council.
Whoa don't play play, all big shots sia. How come so many big shots but still cannot ensure safety precautions, still kena fined, still got lapse? What are they going to do about it now that they kena so many accidents? Eh pls la, make sure you run your company properly first before boasting about your involvement in "serving the community"!
#AnyoneCanBeGrassrootsLeader
Jason L