How quick-thinking workers helped rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong sinkhole

SINGAPORE: Quick-thinking workers who were near the sinkhole that emerged in Tanjong Katong Road South on Saturday (Jul 26) used a rope to pull the driver of the car to safety. 

Mr Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, the site’s foreman, was working at a nearby site when he heard a loud sound. 

"I leaned in to see if there were people in the car, and I saw one person
come out of the car," he told reporters on the site of the sinkhole on Sunday.

The woman had exited the car and was dry, he said. CNA understands that the sinkhole was not filled with water at that point. 

"I immediately said that we had to rescue her," said Mr Subbiah, who spoke in both Tamil and English.

Some workers had wanted to go into the sinkhole to pull the woman up, but Mr Subbiah advised against it, telling them to throw a rope down instead.

“You go down, you also cannot climb up,” added the 46-year-old. 

Three workers then threw a nylon rope into the sinkhole to pull the woman up to safety. They asked her if anyone else was in the car, and she said no.

Mr Subbiah then lent her a phone so she could call her daughter. 

Mr Subbiah, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years and is from India, said the whole ordeal lasted around five minutes. He is from Ohin Construction.

Asked how he felt during the rescue, Mr Subbiah replied: "I was scared, but every feeling was that this woman must be rescued first. (At the end of everything), I felt thankful that we had saved a life."

"To me, the fact that someone had fallen in - no matter what happened, we had to rescue her as quickly as possible. That was our thinking, and that was the determination and urgency with which we rescued her."

The woman was taken to hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). 

In an update on Sunday, national water agency PUB said the woman is able to walk and is undergoing further check-ups.

SCDF said in an update on Facebook that the woman was rescued by workers at the site before their arrival.

"We will be reaching out to the workers to commend them for their bravery and prompt action in saving a life," it added.

PUB had said in a Facebook post on Saturday night that the woman had been rescued by SCDF, but corrected this on Sunday. 

A sinkhole opened up at Tanjong Katong Road South at about 5pm on Saturday.

The sinkhole occurred next to a PUB worksite, near the junction of Tanjong Katong Road South and Mountbatten Road.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said early Sunday morning that the road will be closed until further notice and that it is working with PUB and the Building and Construction Authority to monitor the repairs.

It added that preliminary checks by BCA indicate that surrounding buildings are not affected and PUB has also isolated the affected water mains.