Condo near Tanjong Katong sinkhole to hire independent engineers to assess safety

SINGAPORE: A condominium next to the sinkhole in Tanjong Katong will appoint independent engineers to assess its grounds, as authorities complete backfilling and begin further checks in the area.

"We understand residents' concern as the sinkhole location is a stone's throw away from our estate," said a message from One Amber condominium's management office sent to residents in the early hours of Monday (Jul 28).

"Please be informed that the management of One Amber will be seeking independent professional advice from civil and structure engineers on the common areas, in particular those that are in close proximity to the sinkhole area," said the message, which was seen by CNA. 

The management added that it would share official updates from the authorities with residents as soon as possible.

A sinkhole appeared along Tanjong Katong Road South on Saturday evening, and social media footage showed a car falling in. The female driver was rescued by workers and taken conscious to Raffles Hospital.

The affected stretch of road has been closed until further notice for repairs.

A retired couple who live in One Amber said that residents may have to pay for the independent engineer's assessment.

"It will cost us money, but I think it is better to be assured," said the resident who wanted to be known as Mrs Phua. She and her husband, Mr Philip Phua, were returning from Parkway Parade.

"I hope the government (makes sure the situation) is stable because we notice that for months, they keep digging and digging. They cover, they dig, they cover, they dig," she said.

Mrs Phua said she is worried that the soil has been disturbed by the frequent works in the area.

"It's our retirement home, you know. We're scared."

The managing agent for King's Mansion, which is next to One Amber, said residents are discussing the possibility of hiring an independent engineer but have not reached a decision.

"We might just wait to see if the MP can give us some assurance or updates," said Mr David Khoe.

He said the management of One Amber is in the preliminary stages and has not appointed an engineer yet, adding that cost will be a consideration for King's Mansion.

Mr Abdul Malik, the managing agent for Ola Residences, said the management currently has no plans to conduct any safety assessments. “It’s quite far, a distance away,” he said of the sinkhole.

Ola Residences is on Mountbatten Road, around 250m away from where the incident happened.

He said residents are not concerned about the sinkhole affecting the condominium.

Their water supply was affected on Saturday, but Mr Abdul said the PUB resolved it quite quickly. 

“They even called me at 2am to say what they are going to do,” he said, adding that he feels the residents are in safe hands.

Residents of the condominium echoed Mr Abdul's sentiments and said they did not think the sinkhole raised safety concerns for them.

However, Ms Ragini Jerath, 40, said the restored water supply seemed to be a bit muddy. She is relying on bottled water for drinking for now.

Another resident, housewife Natalia Ng, 55, said she trusted that the government would handle the sinkhole incident well, so she is not concerned at all.

On Monday, MP Goh Pei Ming (PAP-Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) told CNA that further checks in the area include a radar scan that will detect cavities, followed by a probing system that will go 20m into the ground to ensure there are no undetected cavities.

"20m is actually (quite deep), so that, they will do at a few spots, and that will probably take a bit of time," he said. "Once that is all completed, they will do analysis of all the results before giving an all clear on the road to be repaved, and thereafter plans for reopening."

In a Facebook post, Mr Goh said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will ensure there are no air pockets in the soil before repaving.

"I understand residents are keen to know when the road can be reopened. I think it is best we give the agencies the time to be doubly sure the road is safe before we reopen," he wrote.

RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY BUS DIVERSIONS

Mr Goh also said morning traffic had been smooth, and that LTA deployed vehicular messaging systems and worked with the Ministry of Education to inform parents about diversions.

"Many parents also left home earlier to cater more time to send their children. Except some localised traffic buildup along Mountbatten Road, all was traffic as usual," he said.

One Tanjong Katong resident told CNA she had forgotten that she could not take her usual bus to Bugis because of the road closure. 

Ms Liu Shan Shan, 43, was on her way to meet friends at a temple, and they had already arrived.

"Normally the bus to Bugis takes around 10 minutes," she said in Mandarin. Taking an alternative route using the Thomson-East Coast Line would take around 40 minutes.

Workers told her she could walk to a different bus stop but she was unable to locate one within walking distance. Ms Liu, who works as a masseur, ended up booking a private-hire vehicle, which took eight minutes to arrive.

Mr Phua, the One Amber resident, said he and his wife often use Tanjong Katong Road South to get home to avoid the heavy traffic along Amber Gardens, but cannot do so due to the road closure.

He also sometimes takes bus 48 from Parkway Parade, but took the train on Monday instead.

On Sunday, CNA reported that one eatery located near the sinkhole found that delivery times took up to 20 minutes longer, while another restaurant had customers cancel their reservations.

Mr Sunil Sharma, restaurant manager at Darbar, said two groups decided not to patronise the shop.

That could cost him S$200 (US$156) to S$300 in sales, which he described as "not much". Customers can come another time, said Mr Sharma, adding that he's more concerned about their convenience.

Wellness centre The Ice Bath Club put up an advisory on its social media accounts and in its group chat with around 500 members, to tell them to avoid Tanjong Katong South Road and take alternative routes if needed.