2 dead, 8 injured at Downtown Line Bugis construction site

Two workers from China died after the temporary scaffolding used for the construction of the new Downtown Line (DTL) Bugis Station subway link roof slab gave way. 

Eight other workers were injured and were sent to the nearby Raffles Hospital before rescuers arrived. 

They had minor injuries. 

Five of them have been discharged. 

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the incident happened at about 6.50am. 

The scaffolding structure was about 4 metres high. 

The area affected is localised, measuring about 5 metres by 10 metres. 

The entire DTL Bugis station is about 7,500 square metres. 

The eight workers who were injured were working on top of the structure. 

LTA engineers and personnel are at the site to assist SCDF and the Police to manage the situation. 

The LTA said the DTL Bugis station structure is substantially complete and structurally sound. 

It said the incident poses no risk to surrounding developments and the public. 

LTA engineers checked similar scaffolding structures at all its DTL worksites and said they are safe. 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the tunnel is about three to four metres deep. 

The SCDF said the first body was found at about 10.40am. 

It was submerged in wet cement and was pressed down by wooden planks in the work area, which was 15 metres deep. 

The SCDF said the search operation was a "race against time" - before the wet cement hardened. 

Its personnel pumped in water to ensure that the cement stayed wet so that they could recover the body. 

They had to cut through planks and scaffolding to reach the body. 

They took about an hour to recover the body. 

At about 12.53pm, the second body was found. 

SCDF personnel recovered the body at about 4pm. 

The SCDF stressed that the tunnel is still intact. 

The area which the accident happened is a link way connecting the new DTL station and Bugis station. 

The existing Bugis station is not affected. 

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has ordered all construction work to stop. 

It said that based on preliminary information gathered, workers were pouring concrete, also known as the casting process, into the formwork when the structure supporting the formwork collapsed. 

The formwork, located between the new and old sections of Bugis MRT Station, was part of the structure being built to form the underground linkway. 

The project is a joint venture between Soletanche-Bachy and Koh Brothers. 

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has revoked the construction permit for the Downtown Line Bugis station linkway site while investigations are underway. 

It said the collapse is localised and there are no structural safety concerns on the surrounding buildings and the road above. 

The LTA said at about 6pm that all other workers of its contractor have been accounted for. 

It said it's deeply saddened by the loss of lives, as well as the injuries suffered by the other eight workers. 

It added that it'll cooperate with the Ministry of Manpower in its investigation into the cause of the accident and will exercise extra vigilance to prevent a similar occurrence.