Engineer and migrant worker killed in North-South Corridor worksite accident

SINGAPORE — A local site engineer and a Bangladeshi construction worker died on Sept 17 after they were struck by heavy machinery at a worksite in Lentor Avenue for the upcoming North-South Corridor.

The Bangladeshi worker, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic, while the engineer, 38, was unconscious when taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where he died due to his injuries.

Two other workers, aged 32 and 47, were also taken to the same hospital after the accident, which happened at about 1.20pm.

They suffered minor injuries and have since been discharged, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in response to queries.

LTA said the four were assembling a winch drum that was resting on two concrete blocks when the winch, which is typically used in the lifting of heavy materials, slid off the blocks and struck them.

Photos of the accident's aftermath that were shared on private messaging platforms showed two workers, wearing high-visibility jackets and safety helmets, lying face-down on the ground. A third worker can be seen trying to help one of them up.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that as a general safety measure, heavy machinery or structures must be secured in a stable manner to reduce the risk of slipping or toppling.

According to the ministry, the four workers who were hurt in the accident were employed by VSL Singapore, the local subsidiary of Swiss specialist contractor VSL.

The main contractor of the Lentor Avenue worksite is South Korean firm Ssangyong Engineering and Construction.

LTA said it is deeply saddened by the accident, and it is working with the two companies to assist the families of the dead workers. It is also assisting the police and MOM with their investigations into the incident.

Ssangyong Engineering and Construction was awarded a $537.1 million contract by LTA in 2018 to build a section of the North-South Corridor between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9 and Sungei Seletar.

The work includes the construction of 1.3km of road tunnels under Lentor Avenue, a 1.1km section of viaduct, as well as surface roads and an exit ramp.

According to the company's website, the project — known as N111 — was previously recognised in 2021 by the Workplace Safety and Health Council for having good safety and health performance and workplace safety and health management systems.

The Straits Times has contacted the contractor for comment.

LTA has called a safety time-out to review the safety procedures related to construction of the viaduct segment of the North-South Corridor.

This includes the viaduct section being built in Lentor Avenue, as well as other worksites stretching north towards Admiralty.

With the latest incident, at least six workers have now died due to accidents at LTA worksites in slightly over a year.

The fatal accident on Sept 17 is also the second to have occurred at a North-South Corridor construction site.

Almost exactly a year ago on Sept 16, 2023, a 41-year-old Bangladeshi worker died after he was struck by a pallet of gas cylinders that toppled during a lifting operation at a construction site in Cavenagh Road for the transport corridor.

Construction of the 21.5km-long North-South Corridor, which starts in Admiralty Road West and ends in East Coast Parkway near Republic Boulevard, began in 2018.

To be completed in phases, the transport corridor will comprise an 8.8km viaduct — which is targeted to open in 2027 — and 12.3km of underground road tunnels slated to open in 2029.

According to past media reports, at least 11 people have died in workplace accidents here in 2024 so far.

In comparison, 36 workers died as a result of workplace accidents in Singapore in 2023, 46 in 2022, 37 in 2021, 30 in 2020 and 39 in 2019.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.