Four migrant workers in Singapore have been hailed as heroes after rescuing a woman whose car fell into a sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road on Saturday afternoon. The workers, led by construction foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, were working nearby when they heard a loud noise and rushed to the scene.
Mr Subbiah and his crew used a nylon rope to pull the woman from the black Mazda in under five minutes, before the hole filled with water. “Someone had fallen in. We were determined to save her as fast as possible,” Mr Subbiah told reporters. The woman was taken to hospital with minor shoulder pain.
Singapore’s national water agency, PUB, initially credited the Civil Defence Force with the rescue, but netizens pointed out that the migrant workers were the first responders. Following backlash, PUB acknowledged the workers’ quick actions. MP Goh Pei Ming also confirmed the workers’ role.
The Civil Defence Force said it would commend the workers for their bravery. The sinkhole has been filled with stabilised soil, and PUB has called a safety time-out to review similar sewer construction works across Singapore.
