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Worker, 31, dies after falling into 3m piling pit at Raffles Place site
Rescuers brought the worker out from a pool of mud.
![image](https://static.mothership.sg/1/2025/01/raffles-place-construction-accident.png)
A 31-year-old Bangladeshi worker died at a Raffles Place construction site on Jan. 25 after the ground gave way, causing him to fall into a 3m deep piling pit.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told Mothership that the workplace incident occurred on Jan. 25 at around 2:30pm at a construction site at 24 Raffles Place.
The worker was involved in lifting works when the ground beneath him gave way, causing him to fall into the collapsed soil, said MOM.
Marina Bay Fire Station personnel activated
Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to the accident at around 3pm.
SCDF said firefighters from Marina Bay Fire Station and the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were activated.
The SCDF team made use of height rescue equipment including rescue ropes and harnesses.
Two DART rescuers were lowered into the piling pit, which is about 3m in depth, to bring the worker out from a pool of mud.
Police said a 31-year-old man was pronounced dead at scene by an SCDF paramedic.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Stop-work order issued by MOM
According to MOM, the occupier of the site is Woh Hup (Private) Limited, and the worker was employed by Nardev Builders Pte. Ltd.
The developer of the project is S.L. Properties Limited.
MOM said it is investigating the incident and has issued a stop-work order for substructure construction works to the occupier.
"As a general safety measure, the ground near excavations must be assessed and sufficiently reinforced to mitigate risks of ground collapse," MOM said.
MOM noted that in view of the recent wet weather, contractors are reminded to reassess the work environment especially after heavy rain to ensure it is safe for workers.
Construction sector workplace fatalities tripled in H2 2024
MOM wrote in a Dec. 13, 2024 Facebook post that the workplace safety and health (WSH) performance for the construction sector in 2024 was "concerning".
The second half of 2024 saw 15 workplace fatalities in the sector, three times the figure for the first half of 2024.
Many of these incidents were due to the lack of basic safety measures or non-compliance with established safety measures, MOM wrote.
MOM also reminded companies not to cut corners during the festive season to meet project milestones, at the expense of safety.
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Top image from Safety Watch - SG/Facebook
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