Structure on highway under construction collapses near PIE

A structure on an incomplete highway collapsed early Friday (14^th July) morning near the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) exit to the Tampines Expressway (TPE). The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said one worker was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, while 10 others have been sent to Changi General Hospital.

At around 7:00am, it said all workers at the construction site have been accounted for and that search and rescue operations have been completed. The Straits Times (ST) understands that among the injured workers are Indian, Bangladeshi and Chinese nationals.

A worker who declined to be identified said they had been pouring concrete at the structure when it gave way. Among the injured was a man who broke his leg and another whose torso was punctured, he added.

The SCDF was alerted to the incident at about 3:35am, according to a post on its Facebook page. The collapsed structure looked to have been about 5m high, according to an ST photographer who arrived at the scene at 4:30am. He saw a group of paramedics and firefighters trying to revive a man. They were successful, and he was taken away on a stretcher.

Several workers had rushed down to the scene from their dormitories after hearing of the accident. The collapsed structure is part of a highway that is under construction, said the SCDF.

About 60 SCDF officers, including those from the SCDF's Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team were involved in the search and rescue operation, assisted by K9 search dogs. The SCDF said the slip road from Upper Changi Road East into PIE was closed, and asked motorists to avoid the area. At 7:00am, a police hearse carrying the body of the one person who died left the scene. The police said he was 31-years old.