A 27-year-old construction worker plunged to his death in the early hours of Jan. 4 after falling about 7.5m while working at a Jurong Region Line (JRL) work site, CNA reported.

The worker, who was from Myanmar, fell over the edge of an uncompleted platform he was erecting at about 2:30am.

The accident took place along Jurong West Street 75, where the future Gek Poh MRT station will be located.

He was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.

Work halted, safety timeout imposed

Work at the site was halted immediately following the incident, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Jan. 6.

A safety timeout had been imposed on all worksites, the statutory board said, adding that they were assisting the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) with investigations of the accident.

"We share our deepest condolences with the family of the deceased worker and are working with our contractors to provide them with support and assistance," LTA said, as quoted by CNA.

MOM said that as a general safety measure, workers should be wearing safety harnesses and secured to anchor points at all times when there is a possibility of falling from a height.

Jurong Region Line

The project's main contractor of the affected site is CES_SDC, which was awarded S$226.6 million contract in 2020 by LTA to design and construct Gek Poh and Tawas stations, along with two viaducts.

The 27-year-old deceased worker was employed by Jiangxi Construction Development.

JRL is Singapore's seventh MRT line, aimed at improving connectivity and support of the Jurong area.

The line will have 24 MRT stations and is set to open in three stages from 2027.

Top image via Google Maps.