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Online Citizen
5 days ago
- General
- Online Citizen
Workers who rescued driver from Tanjong Katong sinkhole honoured by President Tharman
Seven migrant workers who pulled a woman from a sinkhole in Tanjong Katong Road South were formally honoured at the Istana by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 3 August 2025. The workers, all employees of Ohin Construction, were part of a rescue that took place on 26 July when a black car fell into a sinkhole at around 5pm. The incident occurred at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road South and Mountbatten Road, near One Amber condominium. Construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 46, told reporters the experience was deeply meaningful. Speaking in Tamil, he said, 'Because of us, a family is safe and happy, (which) makes us very glad. The recognition we have received is more than enough.' Mr Subbiah and his team used a nylon rope to pull the woman from the car. The swift action by the workers ensured she suffered no serious injuries and was brought to safety quickly. The other six involved were excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, 56; Mr Anbazhagan Velmurugan and Mr Bose Ajithkumar, both 26; Mr Poomalai Saravanan, 28; Mr Ganesan Veerasekar, 32; and Mr Arumugam Chandirasekaran, 47. All were invited to the Istana's National Day open house, held in celebration of Singapore's 60th year of independence. President Tharman and his wife, Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, personally thanked the men outside the president's office. 'You saved her life, thank you,' Mr Tharman was overheard saying during the encounter. Also recognised were 11 men who rescued children trapped on a third-storey ledge during a fire at a River Valley shophouse in April. They had used scaffolding from a nearby construction site to reach the children. The workers received presidential mementos—pens engraved with the presidential crest—which are traditionally given to guests of honour visiting the Istana. Mr Subbiah, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years, expressed gratitude for being able to finally visit the Istana, which he had only seen from the outside until now. He said he had previously met Mr Tharman at a 2005 community event in Teban Gardens. Excavator operator Mr Rajendran told the media he was simply relieved the woman was unharmed. 'I'm just very happy she is okay,' he said, adding that he hoped more people would be inspired to help others. The workers were among around 12,000 people who visited the Istana on 3 August. Despite intermittent rain, visitors explored the historic grounds, participated in inclusive sports such as seated volleyball, and took part in arts and crafts and face painting. Following the sinkhole incident, migrant worker support group ItsRainingRaincoats launched a public fund-raiser to support the seven rescuers. The campaign received over S$72,000 in donations. The organisation said it would disburse the funds equally among the workers and plans to host a small event at its Henderson Road premises on 10 August to honour them. Each worker is expected to receive a significant sum directly into their bank accounts. ItsRainingRaincoats had previously facilitated a similar campaign for the River Valley rescuers, distributing S$3,770 to each of the 15 men involved, from the S$57,660 raised. The sinkhole appeared near a Public Utilities Board (PUB) worksite involved in constructing a 16-metre-deep shaft, prompted concern over road safety and infrastructure maintenance. Earlier, Singapore Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu offered a public apology for what she described as a 'serious incident' that 'should not have happened', assuring that MSE will convene an internal panel to investigate the incident.
New Paper
03-08-2025
- General
- New Paper
President Tharman meets migrant workers from sinkhole rescue
The workers who saved a woman from a sinkhole in Tanjong Katong Road South said they were glad to have helped a family get their loved one home safely. Speaking to the media at the Istana on Aug 3, construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah said that the successful rescue of a life was the most rewarding thing from the incident. "Because of us, a family is safe and happy (which) makes us very glad," Mr Subbiah, 46, said in Tamil. "The recognition we have received is more than enough." Mr Subbiah and six other men had pulled out the woman, the driver of a black car that had fallen into the sinkhole, using a nylon rope. The car the woman was driving had tumbled in at about 5pm on July 26, when a sinkhole formed at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road, near the One Amber condominium. The seven workers and their project manager, all of whom work for Ohin Construction, were invited by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to the Istana's National Day open house on Aug 3. Chatting with the workers outside his office, Mr Tharman was overheard saying: "You saved her life, thank you." Mr Tharman and Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam also met 11 men involved in a rescue during a fire at a River Valley shophouse in April. Using scaffolding from a nearby construction site, the workers had rescued children who were stranded on a third-story ledge because of the blaze. Mr Subbiah was among thousands of people who explored the Istana grounds during the open house to celebrate the nation's 60th birthday. The slight rain in the middle of the day did not stop visitors from strolling through the wooded landscape and enjoying its expansive lawns. Among the activities that were on offer were face painting, inclusive sports like seated volleyball, as well as other arts and crafts. There were about 12,000 visitors as at noon. Mr Subbiah, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years, said he was happy to explore the Istana as he had, till now, seen it only from the outside. He previously saw Mr Tharman in 2005 at a community event in Teban Gardens, but was happy to meet the President as his invited guest. Another of the seven, excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, told reporters he hopes more people will step forward to help others in times of need. "I'm just very happy she is okay," said the 56-year-old. Mr Tharman wished the workers well, and thanked them for their heroic acts. After the interaction, each of the workers received a memento of their visit to the Istana. The memento - a pen bearing the presidential crest - is typically given to guests of the President as a keepsake for them to remember their visit, said the President's Office. Mr Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah (centre, in green), a construction site foreman who rescued a driver of a car that fell into the Tanjong Katong sinkhole, with his colleagues at the Istana open house on Aug 3. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Following the sinkhole incident, migrant worker support organisation ItsRainingRaincoats launched a fund raiser for the workers involved in the rescue. It received more than $72,000 in public donations, which it will divide among the workers. The organisation said it will hold a small gathering at its Henderson Road premises on Aug 10 to honour the workers, and to announce the disbursement of the funds raised to their bank accounts. ItsRainingRaincoats had previously raised funds for the men who saved the children from the River Valley fire. Each of the 15 workers received around $3,770 of the $57,660 collected.
The Star
03-08-2025
- General
- The Star
Singapore President Tharman meets migrant workers who saved driver of car that fell into sinkhole
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and wife Jane Ittogi (centre) taking a group photo with the construction workers involved in the Tanjong Katong sinkhole rescue at the National Day Istana open house on Aug 3. - ST/ANN SINGAPORE: The workers who saved a woman from a sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road South said they were glad to have helped a family get their loved one home safely. Speaking to the media at the Istana on Aug 3, construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah said that the successful rescue of a life was the most rewarding thing from incident. 'Because of us, a family is safe and happy (which) makes us very glad,' Subbiah, 46, said in Tamil. 'The recognition we have gotten is more than enough. Subbiah and six other men had pulled the woman, a driver of a black car that had fallen into the sinkhole, out using a nylon rope. The car the woman was driving had tumbled in at about 5pm on July 26, when a sinkhole formed at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road, near the One Amber condominium. The seven workers were invited by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to the Istana's National Day open house on Aug 3. Chatting with the workers outside his office, Tharman was overheard saying: 'You saved her life, thank you.' Tharman and Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam also met 11 men involved in a rescue during a fire at a River Valley shophouse in April. Using scaffolding from a nearby construction site, the workers had rescued children who were stranded on a third-story ledge due to the blaze. Subbiah was among thousands of people who explored the Istana grounds during the open house to celebrate the nation's 60th birthday. The slight rain in the middle of the day did not stop visitors from strolling the wooded landscape and enjoying its expansive lawns. Among the activities that were on offer were face painting, inclusive sports like seated volleyball, as well as other arts and crafts. There were about 12,000 visitors as of 12pm. Subbiah, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years, said he was happy to explore the Istana as he had, till now, only seen it from the outside. He previously saw Tharman in 2005 at a community event in Teban Gardens, but was happy to meet the President as his invited guest. Another of the seven, excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, told reporters he hopes more people will step forward to help others in times of need. 'I'm just very happy she is okay,' said the 56-year-old. Tharman wished the workers well, and thanked them for their heroic acts. After the interaction, each of the workers received a memento of their visit to the Istana. The memento – a pen bearing the Presidential Crest – is typically given to guests of the President as a keepsake for them to remember their visit, said the President's Office. Following the sinkhole incident, migrant worker support organisation ItsRainingRaincoats launched a fundraiser for the workers involved in the rescue. It received more than S$72,000 (US$55,804) in public donations, which it will divide among the workers. The organisation said it will hold a small gathering at its Henderson Road premises on Aug 10 to honour the workers, and to announce the disbursement of the funds raised to their bank accounts. ItsRainingRaincoats had previously raised funds for the men who saved the children from the River Valley fire. Each of the 15 workers received around S$3,770 of the S$57,660 collected.- The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
03-08-2025
- General
- Straits Times
President Tharman meets migrant workers who saved driver of car that fell into sinkhole
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and wife Ms Jane Ittogi (centre) taking a group photo with the construction workers involved in the Tanjong Katong sinkhole rescue at the National Day Istana open house on Aug 3. SINGAPORE - The workers who saved a woman from a sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road South said they were glad to have helped a family get their loved one home safely. Speaking to the media at the Istana on Aug 3, construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah said that the successful rescue of a life was the most rewarding thing from incident. 'Because of us, a family is safe and happy (which) makes us very glad,' Mr Subbiah, 46, said in Tamil. 'The recognition we have gotten is more than enough.' Mr Subbiah and six other men had pulled the woman, a driver of a black car that had fallen into the sinkhole, out using a nylon rope. The car the woman was driving had tumbled in at about 5pm on July 26, when a sinkhole formed at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road, near the One Amber condominium. The seven workers were invited by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to the Istana's National Day open house on Aug 3. Chatting with the workers outside his office, Mr Tharman was overheard saying: 'You saved her life, thank you.' Mr Tharman and Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam also met 11 men involved in a rescue during a fire at a River Valley shophouse in April. Using scaffolding from a nearby construction site, the workers had rescued children who were stranded on a third-story ledge due to the blaze. Mr Subbiah was among thousands of people who explored the Istana grounds during the open house to celebrate the nation's 60th birthday. The slight rain in the middle of the day did not stop visitors from strolling the wooded landscape and enjoying its expansive lawns. Among the activities that were on offer were face painting, inclusive sports like seated volleyball, as well as other arts and crafts. There were about 12,000 visitors as of 12pm. Mr Subbiah, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years, said he was happy to explore the Istana as he had, till now, only seen it from the outside. He previously saw Mr Tharman in 2005 at a community event in Teban Gardens, but was happy to meet the President as his invited guest. Another of the seven, excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, told reporters he hopes more people will step forward to help others in times of need. 'I'm just very happy she is okay,' said the 56-year-old. Mr Tharman wished the workers well, and thanked them for their heroic acts. After the interaction, each of the workers received a memento of their visit to the Istana. The memento – a pen bearing the Presidential Crest – is typically given to guests of the President as a keepsake for them to remember their visit, said the President's Office. Mr Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah (centre, in green), a construction site foreman who rescued a driver who fell inside the Tanjong Katong sinkhole, with his colleagues at the the Istana open house on Aug 3. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Following the sinkhole incident, migrant worker support organisation ItsRainingRaincoats launched a fundraiser for the workers involved in the rescue. It received more than $72,000 in public donations, which it will divide among the workers. The organisation said it will hold a small gathering at its Henderson Road premises on Aug 10 to honour the workers, and to announce the disbursement of the funds raised to their bank accounts. ItsRainingRaincoats had previously raised funds for the men who saved the children from the River Valley fire. Each of the 15 workers received around $3,770 of the $57,660 collected.
Mint
31-07-2025
- General
- Mint
Who are the 7 Indians Singapore President invited after they rescued woman from sinkhole? All about them
Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has invited the seven Indian migrant workers who saved a woman driver from a sinkhole. They have been invited to the Istana presidential palace on August 3. The Indian workers who have been invited to the presidential palace are: Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, and his co-workers Velmurugan Muthusamy, 27, Poomalai Saravanan, 28, Ganesan Veerasekar, 32, Bose Ajithkumar, 26, Narayanasamy Mayakrishnan, 25, and Sathapillai Rajendran, 56. Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah is a site foreman whose quick thinking saved the woman. Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah and his colleagues were working at a PUB worksite near the One Amber condominium when the incident happened. The migrant workers heard a loud sound and rushed out of the site to see a massive sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road South. They also saw a black car which had fallen into the sinkhole and a woman trying to come out of it. A concrete component in the shaft "failed" at around 5.50 pm last Saturday, according to the national water agency. Around the same time, a sinkhole formed on the adjacent road, causing a car to fall in. Subbiah then instructed three of his colleagues to throw a nylon rope to the woman and pull her out. One of them offered to go in and help her climb, but Subbiah opted for the rope, reasoning that the rescuer might not be able to get out either. The woman was out of the sinkhole in three-five minutes. Meanwhile, 1,639 donors have contributed SGD72,241 for the seven heroes, according to a Facebook page of the ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR), a Singapore charity. Also Read | Sinkhole swallows whole PMC truck in Pune's Budwar Peth, netizens react: 'Space technology' The President's Office said, 'There will be opportunities for interaction between the guests - including the migrant workers – and the president during the Istana open house.' The workers have been commended by the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, a division that aims to support migrant workers' well-being. The ACE Coin, given to each of the workers, is a "token of appreciation" presented to migrant worker volunteers and partners who have made meaningful contributions towards supporting and caring for the migrant worker community.
