President Tharman meets migrant workers involved in sinkhole & River Valley shophouse fire rescues at Istana

The migrant workers who rescued a woman from the Tanjong Katong sinkhole, and children from the River Valley Shophouse fire, met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Aug. 3 at the Istana.

Following their interaction with the President, the workers were each given a pen bearing the Presidential crest as a memento and keepsake for them to remember their visit.

The workers' invitation followed a suggestion by a member of the public on President Tharman's Facebook post applauding the workers involved in the sinkhole rescue.

In response, President Tharman said, "Absolutely. Thanks for the sentiments, like many others."

Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents, and migrant domestic workers accompanying families.

Other visitors will have to pay an admission fee of S$20 per adult and S$10 per child (four to 12 years).

Heroics

Tanjong Katong sinkhole

When the sinkhole opened on Jul. 26 at about 5pm, site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah heard the noise and rushed over.

He saw the car had plunged into the hole, and the woman had managed to escape the vehicle.

He and several other migrant workers tossed down a nylon rope and managed to pull the woman up.

The migrant worker, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years, said it was the first time he had experienced something like this.

"Scared, but must rescue her out," he said of his effort.

In a Jul. 28 Facebook post, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash shared that he presented an "MOM Appreciation Coin" to Subbiah and six other migrant workers for their heroic efforts.

Dinesh called the coins "a small token of appreciation that goes a long way in appreciating our efforts for our migrant brothers".

River Valley shophouse fire

On Apr. 8, a fire at 278 River Valley Road on Apr. 8 claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl and saw 22 people taken to the hospital.

Upon seeing the fire, migrant workers near the shophouse brought ladders and scaffolding to help evacuate all of the children and adults who were trapped.

The four migrant workers, Inderjit Singh, Subramanian Saranraj, Nagarajan Anbarasan, and Sivasami Vijayaraj were awarded a Friends of ACE coin.

An MOM post on Apr. 9 commended the quartet, saying their "quick thinking and bravery made all the difference".

Top photo by Mothership