At about 3.30pm yesterday, the excavation works at the Nicoll Highway MRT station work site (Circle Line Stage 1) near the Merdeka Bridge, behind Golden Mile Complex collapsed. (Source:  Land Transport Authority 20 Apr 2004)

This has resulted in major soil subsidence along the Nicoll Highway. The stretch of road is now closed to traffic. (Source:  Land Transport Authority 20 Apr 2004)

Soil subsidence affected an area measuring 100 metres by 150 metres. It also disrupted the utility supplies in the area but these were restored by the various utilities agencies shortly. (Source: Land Transport Authority 20 Apr 2004)

At the time of the incident, the contractor, Nishimatsu Construction Co. Ltd/Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd Joint Venture was carrying excavation works for the construction of tunnels. (Source:  Land Transport Authority 20 Apr 2004)

One person, believed to be a construction worker, has been rescued from the site and sent to SGH. There is no damage to any building in the area. We have no evidence to believe that this is a sabotage. The blackout in the vicinity is believed to be caused by the damaged road. (Source: Singapore Police Force 20 Apr 2004)

Rescue officers recovered the body of an Indian man at about 6.20pm this evening at the site of the Nicoll Highway collapse. Mr Vadivil s/o Nadason, a 44-year-old Malaysian and a Singapore permanent resident, was working as a crane operator at the MRT construction site when the road collapsed.

Three other workers were injured during the incident. They are:

(i) 47-year-old Singaporean was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital with leg injuries. The Chinese man, working as a driver at the construction site, has since been treated and discharged.

(ii) A 25-year-old Indian National, was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital with cuts on his legs. The construction worker has also been treated and discharged.

(iii) A Thai National, was sent to the Singapore General Hospital, with face, neck and jaw injuries. The construction worker, a 21-year-old man, has been warded. (Source: Singapore Police Force 20 Apr 2004)

22 Apr 2004

Rescue officers recovered the body of a Chinese man at about 11.40pm (Wednesday 21 April 2004) at the site of the Nicoll Highway collapse. The Chinese national in his mid-thirties had commenced work early this month as a construction worker at the MRT tunnelling site. Source: Singapore Police Force 22 Apr 2004)

Rescue officers recovered the body of a Chinese man at about 11.45 am today. The body was found along Republic Avenue, a few metres away from the body discovered yesterday at about 11.40 pm. The body was clad in a green polo T-shirt with a LTA logo, dark trousers, a green vest and a belt. There were no identification papers found on the body. (Source: Singapore Police Force 22 Apr 2004)

The two bodies that were recovered at the site of the Nicoll Highway collapse have been positively identified. The body that was recovered at about 11.40pm last night has been ascertained to be a 36-year-old construction worker from China. Police are in the process of notifying his next-of-kin. As for the body that was recovered at about 11.45am this morning, he has been positively identified as Mr Tan Lock Yong, a 56-year-old Singaporean. He was a site inspector with LTA. (Source: Singapore Police Force 22 Apr 2004)

Mr Tan joined the LTA in November 1999 as an Inspector of Works. He was assigned to work on the construction of Hougang and Kovan MRT stations along the North East Line. With the completion of the project, he was posted to the Nicoll Highway MRT Station of Circle Line Stage 1 in February 2002. (Source: Land Transport Authority 22 Apr 2004)

It is our intention to open Crawford Underpass soon, but before we can do so, the section of Merdeka Bridge nearest to the incident site will have to be cut off. This will ensure that there will be no stress on Merdeka Bridge when Crawford Underpass opens. We would like to emphasise that the Merdeka Bridge is safe. LTA has been monitoring the area around the Merdeka Bridge and Crawford Underpass regularly and there are no further ground movements in the area around the Merdeka Bridge and Crawford Underpass. (Source: Land Transport Authority 22 Apr 2004)

The Acting Minister for Manpower has appointed a Committee of Inquiry under Section 54 of the Factories Act (Chapter 104), to inquire into the cause of the incident at the MRT circle line worksite that led to the collapse of the Nicoll Highway on 20 April 2004. Senior District Judge, Mr Richard Magnus, has been appointed as Chairman of the Committee of Inquiry. He will be assisted by two assessors, Associate Professor Teh Cee Ing, Head, Division of Geotechnical & Transportation Engineering, Nanyang Technological University and Mr Lau Joo Ming, Director, Building Technology Department, Housing and Development Board. (Source: Ministry of Manpower 22 Apr 2004)

News Story constructed using excerpts of Singapore Police Force, Ministry of Manpower and Land & Transport Authority Press Releases

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