Shocker in Singapore: Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A woman was taken to the hospital after her car fell into a sinkhole that formed on Tanjong Katong Road, near the One Amber condominium, on July 26.
The public have been advised to avoid the area.
In a Facebook post, national water agency PUB said the sinkhole had formed at about 5pm at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road, and adjacent to a PUB worksite.
The road collapse affected two lanes of the road, and one vehicle had fallen into the sinkhole, PUB added.
The car's female driver was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel, and was conscious when taken to Raffles Hospital.
'The police, SCDF, and Land Transport Authority (LTA) are currently on site managing the situation,' PUB said.
Both directions of the affected road have been closed to traffic, with motorists advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
'Two water mains were damaged in the incident,' PUB said, adding that it is isolating the affected water mains.
The SCDF said in a separate Facebook post that it had responded to a road traffic accident in Tanjong Katong Road South at about 5.50pm, and that its resources were still at the scene.
In its Facebook post, the LTA said it was notified of the incident at about 6.05pm.
'The incident is under investigation and our contractors are on site to assist with the repair of the roads,' the authority said.
Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP Goh Pei Ming and Mountbatten SMC MP Gho Sze Kee also alerted their followers through Facebook posts on the evening of July 26, with Mr Goh saying that bus services 36 and 48 have been diverted because of the sinkhole.
Images and videos circulating on social media show a large hole on one side of the road. In some visuals, a dark-coloured car is seen partially submerged in gushing water in the hole.
A construction site is also seen nearby.
Photos circulating on social media show a dark-coloured car partially submerged in gushing water in the hole. - The Straits Times/ANN
'I think safety should be a priority and relevant authorities should ensure that the road is safe for travelling before they open (it) up,' said Mr Shakti Desai, who lives nearby.
He added that he saw water suddenly gush out from the road and construction workers rushing to the area.
'It's shocking (that) something like this has happened in Singapore, but I'm sure that the authorities will do their utmost to ensure that it is perfectly safe before anything happens,' the 42-year-old businessman told The Straits Times.
A couple in their sixties, who identified themselves only as Mr and Madam Lee, said that they were driving back home to their condominium in Mountbatten Road when they saw the flooded road.
'I thought a water pipe burst,' Mr Lee told ST.
They added that sewage works have been ongoing in the area for months.
In a notice pasted on the construction hoarding near the sinkhole, the PUB said it is carrying out sewer laying works in the Amber Gardens and Amber Road areas from the first quarter of 2023 to first quarter of 2026.
At about 8.45pm, ST observed workers pumping water out, and a crane dredging the contents out of the sinkhole onto a tipper truck. - The Straits Times/ANN
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