A vehicle has fallen into a sinkhole that developed along Tanjong Katong Road South on Saturday (26 July) afternoon, with its female driver sent to the hospital.
A photo circulating on WhatsApp showed that the road in the direction of the East Coast Parkway (ECP) had caved in, with the cavity filled with water.
Photo circulating on WhatsApp
Other photos circulated across social media, including on Telegram, showed a vehicle inside the sinkhole, with water gushing out next to it.
Source: SGRoad Blocks / Traffic News on Telegram
An aerial shot showed the vehicle submerged in a growing pool of water, with cars still travelling along the unaffected side of the road.
Source: SGRoad Blocks / Traffic News on Telegram
A video shared on Facebook showed that the deep sinkhole had developed next to the One Amber condominium, where construction was also taking place.
Source: Kelvin Lam on Facebook
In a Facebook post on Saturday, national water agency PUB said the two-lane wide sinkhole developed at about 5pm next to an existing PUB worksite at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road.
One vehicle fell into the sinkhole, with its female driver rescued by workers.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) then conveyed her to Raffles Hospital in a conscious state.
Additionally, two water mains were damaged and are being isolated by PUB.
Both directions of Tanjong Katong Road South have been closed to traffic, PUB also said.
In a separate Facebook post, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the road closure was a precautionary measure.
Early on Sunday (27 July) morning, LTA said on Facebook that Tanjong Katong Road South would be closed for repair works till further notice.
Motorists were advised to take alternative routes, including travelling farther down Mountbatten Road and the ECP.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
Bus services 36 and 48 were also diverted, with bus stops skipped along Marine Parade, Amber, Mountbatten and Tanjong Katong Roads.
Mr Goh Pei Ming, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development, as well as an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, said in a Facebook post that the police, SCDF, PUB and LTA had been deployed at the site and were “working tirelessly and with utmost care” to ensure public safety.
Source: Goh Pei Ming on Facebook
Personnel will be working through the night to rectify the situation, he noted, adding:
I understand the disruption this has caused to nearby residents and commuters, and I sincerely ask for your patience and understanding during this period. We want to make sure everything is done properly and safely.
LTA added that its contractors were assisting with road repairs, with the incident under investigation.
In a separate Facebook post, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said its engineers had carried out preliminary checks on One Amber condo and the landed houses across the road.
They confirmed that the buildings in question are not affected by the incident, but stabilisation works have commenced as a precautionary measure.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, in a post of her own, said she was “naturally” concerned about public safety, and understood that the public might be concerned about the structural integrity of the buildings and roads following this incident.
Thus, she asked PUB to work with agencies, including BCA and LTA, to thoroughly investigate the cause of the sinkhole and implement rectification quickly, she added.
Also read: Car in Korea falls into sinkhole, 2 sent to hospital with severe injuries
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Featured image adapted from SGRoad Blocks / Traffic News on Telegram.