SINGAPORE – A section of Tanjong Katong Road South collapsed on Saturday, July 26, near the junction with Mountbatten Road, causing a compact car to plunge into a water-filled sinkhole at around 5 p.m. The car, which suffered a shattered windscreen and dented roof, was lifted out using a crane the following afternoon (July 27). After the extraction, workers covered it with a blue tarp and placed it back onto the roadway.
Before the authorities arrived, quick-thinking construction workers rescued the female driver using a rope. Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, the site foreman, recalled hearing a loud crash and seeing the woman trapped in the sinkhole. He directed his crew to lower a rope and pull her to safety rather than enter the unstable area. “I was scared, but I knew we had to rescue her first,” he said.
The woman was conscious and able to walk. She was taken to Raffles Hospital for evaluation. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) later clarified that it was the construction team, not the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), that performed the initial rescue.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that the affected road stretch, between Mountbatten Road and the East Coast Parkway (ECP), will remain closed until further notice. LTA is working closely with PUB and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to carry out repairs. Morning peak-hour commuters should expect delays of 15 to 20 minutes. Bus services 36 and 48 have been rerouted, skipping affected stops in the area.
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Residents in nearby streets such as Mountbatten and Jalan Seaview reported hearing gushing water the night before the collapse, suggesting a possible burst pipe. BCA engineers confirmed that adjacent buildings, including One Amber condominium and surrounding landed homes, were not structurally affected. PUB has isolated the damaged water mains to prevent further leakage.
Crews began backfilling the sinkhole with cement, soil stabilisers, and graded stones. Authorities are also scanning both sides of the road for hidden underground cavities before deciding when it will be safe to reopen the road.
Marine Parade, Braddell Heights MP Goh Pei Ming assured residents that the ground has been stabilised. Approximately 18 homes experienced water supply interruptions, but PUB deployed water wagons and distributed bottled water before restoring pressure around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Motorists have been advised to avoid the Amber Road shortcut and use Fort Road to access Meyer Road, to ease congestion. Multiple government agencies are now collaborating to ensure public safety, with a focus on structural stabilisation and thorough assessment before road reopening.
Source: CNA
