A Chinese worker was killed 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 on Friday morning.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was informed about the incident at about 3:35 am. The authorities said that nearly 60 SCDF officers, assisted by K9 search dogs, were involved in the search and rescue operation.
SCDF said that the 10 injured workers, including another three Chinese workers and seven Bangladeshi workers, were taken to Changi General Hospital (CGH) for treatment. However, a CGH spokesperson said that eight of the 10 have been admitted at the hospital.
One of the injured men, who were taken to CGH, said that at the time of the accident the workers were in a floodlit area. When suddenly the lights went out and a few workers slipped, with one of them catching his leg on a piece of concrete.
The SCDF updated at 6:45 m that the search and rescue operations had been completed and all workers at the construction site were accounted for.
On Friday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement that its engineers, contractors and personnel were on site working with SCDF and the police to "manage the situation". "LTA has also begun safety investigations into the cause of the accident in order to see if there are any lapses or gaps we need to address urgently," the agency said.
The authorities said that 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, spilling onto the slip road. According to LTA, preliminary investigations have revealed that the elements supporting the pre-cast beams had given way leading to the accident.
LTA said that it is checking all other work sites and that works at all LTA road as a precautionary measure. It added that the rail construction sites will observe a safety timeout on Friday morning. However, it clarified that the safety timeout is not a stop-work order, but a "review of work processes related to safety".
LTA also said it is working with the Manpower Ministry on the investigations. It has directed the professional engineers responsible for the project to carry out detailed investigations into the design and construction quality of the affected structure.
"We are saddened by the accident and will do whatever we can to assist the families during this difficult time. LTA officers have been assigned to help the injured workers and the families," the agency said.
