The collapse of highway structure under construction near the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) last Friday (14 Jul) has led to one worker’s death, while two from ten injured employees were reported in critical condition.
The employer, Tongda Construction and Engineering will take full responsibility for this matter, according to a statement by the Migrant Worker’s Centre (MWC). The company will provide bereavement token for the family of Mr Chen Yinchuan, 31, the worker who died in the accident.
Yeo Guat Kwang, MWC chairman, explained that the bereavement compensation is meant to help the family cope with the difficult period, before the work injury compensation assessment are made. Furthermore, given Mr Chen’s status as migrant worker, the firm will also accommodate his relatives to travel from China to Singapore to pay their final respects as well as taking his body home.
See: Construction Firm in Singapore Fined $250,000 for Safety Lapses that Resulted in Worker’s Death
Mr Yeo also gave an update on the other 10 workers who were injured in the accident, Straits Times reports.
Two workers with severe injuries remain in critical condition, as hospital staff working to stabilise their conditions. The two are Chinese national Gao Liqun, 49, and Bangladeshi national Barek Mohammad Abdul, 25.
Meanwhile, gaining better condition, two Bangladeshi workers – Mr Khan Mohammed Sohan, 23, and Mr Moniruzzaman Mohammad, 34 – have been moved to normal wards. Mr Yeo stated that they were making full recoveries, able to speak, optimistic about their health, and showing positive spirit. The others two – Mr Alam Shah, 33, from Bangladesh, and Mr Kathiresan Alaguraja, 30, from India – are recovering after completing follow-up operations. All of six workers are treated at Changi General Hospital.
The remaining four – Chinese workers Chen Jianghui, 41, and Wang Junwei, 40; and Bangladeshi workers Raihan Mohammad, 25, and Hossain Md Mithu, 22 – have been discharged. When MWC staff visited them, Mr Yeo stated that despite some head and body aches, they were able to sit up and move by themselves already. He also said that the workers are optimistic about their condition and wishing to go back to work soon.
All necessary work injury claims will be filed by the employers. In MCS’ official statement, Mr Yeo mentioned about the challenges they faced in gaining access to the workers.
“It took us a few days to navigate various access controls before we finally managed to see all the workers involved,” he said. However, he added that this difficulty did not slowdown MWC’s move to provide legal aid for the workers.
Read also: MOM Launches Initiatives to Enhance Safety of Workers at the Construction Sites
