In a stroke of luck, a van used to transport school children was empty when a crane fell on it, severely damaging it at a construction site in Sengkang.
Eyewitnesses shared their accounts of the incident that occurred on April 9. Anant Pradhan, a 47-year-old resident of Sengkang, witnessed the crane being loaded onto a truck when it unexpectedly toppled.
According to Pradhan, the van’s driver reacted quickly, realizing the danger, and jumped out just in time, moving to the other side of the road. “He was very lucky that he didn’t get seriously hurt,” Pradhan commented on the driver’s narrow escape.
A photograph taken by a passerby showed the fallen crane lying on its side, with its boom spanning the width of the road, resting on the crushed white van.
Emergency medical workers were assisting at the scene.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force spokesperson stated that they were alerted to the accident around 4:55 pm. Only one person, the van driver, was taken to Sengkang General Hospital with injuries but remained conscious throughout.
Fortunately, there were no other occupants in the van at the time of the incident.
The police, who responded to queries, explained that the crane toppled while being maneuvered onto a trailer. Consequently, the crane operator, a 49-year-old man, was arrested for negligent conduct.
Eyewitnesses also mentioned that the van was typically used to transport school children, and moments before the accident, the driver had dropped off a child. Mr. Mamz, a driver behind the van, recounted the incident, stating that everyone present reacted quickly, with the van driver exiting his vehicle.
Madam Tan, a resident living nearby, heard the loud crash from her home and came out to witness the aftermath. Another resident, Mr. Lim, described the noise as exceptionally loud, but luckily, only the van was damaged. The driver managed to jump out of the van, an act that likely saved his life.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that no one was inside the crane cabin when it fell.
Around 6 pm, five police cars arrived at the accident site, setting up roadblocks with assistance from numerous police motorcycles.
The construction site, displaying a sign indicating it is a project by the national water agency PUB, operated by Building Construction Co, has been involved in the construction of a public sewer. PUB’s spokesperson stated that Building Construction Co would collaborate with the police and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) during the investigation.
A representative from Building Construction Co, Mr. Jack Wong, disclosed that construction equipment firm Ten-League owns the crane.
By 7:20 pm, a group of at least six construction workers arrived at the accident site. As of 7:45 pm, the crane had yet to be moved.
MOM confirmed their investigation into the incident and affirmed their coordination with the construction firm to recover the crane.
