Singapore: Woman driver pulled out of sinkhole by Indian man, other workers

A 46-year-old Indian foreman was among several workers who rescued a woman from her car after it fell into a sinkhole in Singapore, according to a media report on Sunday.

The sinkhole developed along the city-state’s Tanjong Katong Road South thoroughfare on Saturday, Channel News Asia reported. Sinkholes are rare on Singapore roads.

Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, a foreman, was working at a nearby site when the car fell into a sinkhole.

“I leaned in to see if there were people in the car, and I saw one person come out of the car," the report quoted him as saying.

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

He, along with other workers, used a rope to pull the driver of the car to safety.

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

“You go down, you also cannot climb up,” he said.

According to the report, the sinkhole was initially dry, but water began to flow in later.

Subbiah lent the woman a phone so she could call her daughter. She was later taken to a hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

“We will be reaching out to the workers to commend them for their bravery and prompt action in saving a life," the SCDF said in an update on Facebook.

The Land Transport Authority said early on Sunday morning that the road will be closed until further notice and that it is working with the Public Utilities Board and the Building and Construction Authority to monitor the repairs.

It added that preliminary checks indicate that surrounding buildings are not affected.

Diaspora