First fatal accident of 2024: Worker falls 7.5m at Jurong Region Line construction site

SINGAPORE – In the early hours of Thursday (4 Jan), tragedy struck the construction site of the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL) in Singapore, marking the first reported fatal workplace accident of 2024.

A 27-year-old construction worker from Myanmar lost his life after falling approximately 7.5 meters from an unfinished platform he was installing around 2:30 am.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reported that the fatal incident occurred near Jurong West Street 75, the site designated for the future Gek Poh JRL MRT station.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force responded to a distress call at Block 749 Jurong West Street 73, adjacent to the accident site.

The worker, employed by Jiangxi Construction Development, was swiftly transported to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

MOM has initiated an investigation into the incident, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the project’s developer, assisting.

A spokesperson from LTA expressed condolences to the deceased worker’s family, emphasizing the seriousness with which they view safety incidents and their commitment to supporting the affected family through contractors.

The construction site at Jurong West Street 75, operated by CES_SDC, a subsidiary of Chip Eng Seng Corp, and the project’s primary contractor, has come under scrutiny.

CES_SDC was awarded a $226.6 million contract by LTA in 2020 for the design and construction of JRL stations in Gek Poh and Tawas, along with two viaducts spanning 1.3km.

Following the tragic incident, work at the construction site was halted, and a safety timeout was imposed on all LTA work sites.

This precautionary measure involves a temporary suspension of construction work to review safety procedures and conduct essential activities such as safety meetings with workers.

MOM emphasized the importance of ensuring workers’ safety at elevated locations, recommending the use of safety harnesses and secure anchor points when there is a risk of falling.

Sadly, this marks the second worker fatality at an LTA work site in the past two months, both linked to the construction of the JRL.

The JRL project, set to be completed in 2027, a year later than initially scheduled due to pandemic-related delays, will span 24km with 24 stations, extending the MRT network to the Jurong area.

Daily ridership is expected to exceed 500,000, contributing to the development of the Jurong Innovation District, Tengah town, and Jurong Lake District.