SINGAPORE – A crane successfully hoisted a black car out of a sinkhole that emerged along Tanjong Katong Road South on the afternoon of July 27. This incident occurred one day after the sinkhole caused the collapse of two lanes on this stretch of road, which remains closed as repair works are underway.
Bus services 36 and 48 are currently diverted, bypassing several key stops along Marine Parade, Amber, Mountbatten, and Tanjong Katong roads, as advised by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Motorists and commuters are encouraged to plan their journeys accordingly to avoid potential delays.
The sinkhole first appeared around 5.50pm on July 26, leading to a car falling in and its female driver needing immediate rescue by workers at the scene. Fortunately, the driver was safely extracted and taken to the hospital for observation due to muscular pain.
The LTA is collaborating with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Building and Construction Authority to monitor the repair efforts and ensure the safety of the area. The sinkhole developed next to an active PUB worksite, and local residents raised concerns about the potential impact of ongoing road and excavation activities on ground stability.
Goh Pei Ming, the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP, visited the site and reported that PUB assessed the ground’s condition to be stable. The authorities are working swiftly, with the aim of reopening the road by July 28, as they continue to assess the situation following the slow drainage of water from the sinkhole.
Construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, who helped rescue the driver, expressed the urgency of their actions, saying, “We were just determined to save her as fast as possible.”
Some residents, however, are expressing their concerns about the possibility of more incidents if construction activities continue without thorough investigations into ground integrity. One resident, Tommy Lim, emphasized the necessity for the authorities to ensure such incidents are isolated and do not recur in the future.
The situation underscores the importance of infrastructure safety, particularly in areas undergoing extensive construction. The community remains hopeful that measures will be enacted to prevent future occurrences and restore normalcy to the affected roads.