Singapore sinkhole rescue sees migrant workers praised for bravery
The construction workers rushed to the driver’s aid after a three-metre deep sinkhole opened up in eastern Singapore
Social media videos showed a three-metre (10-foot) deep sinkhole suddenly appearing on Saturday evening along Tanjong Katong Road in the eastern part of the city state, causing a black Mazda to topple sideways into the hole.
Immediately afterwards, nearby construction workers can be seen in the footage rushing to the woman’s rescue. One worker leans into the sinkhole as two more approach the edge. As the driver emerges from the cavity, four or five workers pull her out.
Construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah was working at a Public Utilities Board site close by when he heard a loud sound, The Straits Times newspaper reported.
“There was one car, and one madam was inside the car. I was thinking: ‘somebody has dropped inside, I want to help’”, the 46-year-old told reporters on Sunday.
Some of the workers were eager to jump into the hole to help the woman, but Subbiah advised against it. “I said to my workers, you go down you also cannot climb up,” he explained to CNA.