SINGAPORE: A worker died on Saturday (Jan 25) at a construction site in Raffles Place after the ground beneath him gave way.

In response to CNA’s queries, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the workplace incident occurred at a construction site at 24 Raffles Place at around 2.30pm.

A 31-year-old Bangladeshi worker was involved in lifting works when the ground beneath him gave way, causing him to fall into the collapsed soil, MOM said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.

The construction site is where Clifford Centre once stood and is undergoing redevelopment.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to an incident at about 3pm, where a person had fallen into a piling pit at the site.

Firefighters from Marina Bay Fire Station and the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) responded to the incident, SCDF said.

Using 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 person out from a pool of mud, it added.

The Singapore Police Force said that based on preliminary investigations, there was no foul play suspected.

“As a general safety measure, the ground near excavations must be assessed and sufficiently reinforced to mitigate risks of ground collapse,” MOM said.

“In view of the recent wet weather, contractors are also reminded to reassess the work environment especially after a heavy downpour to ensure they remain safe for workers,” it added.

The occupier of the site is Woh Hup (Private) Limited, and the worker is employed by Nardev Builders. 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.