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3 deaths at demolition worksites in past 6 months
Khushwant Singh & Sujin Thomas Fri, Feb 01, 2008 The Straits Times
CONSTRUCTION foreman Loh Boon Kee, the first worker to be killed on a demolition site this year, was the third such fatality in the past six months. On Wednesday, Mr Loh, 49, was crushed to death by a 30kg concrete slab that hurtled down 10 storeys. In October last year, excavator driver Chew Chee Nee, 53, died when part of the 17th floor of the 19-storey Asia Chambers building in Cecil Street collapsed during demolition work. Earlier, in August, 48-year-old lift technician Chua Yew Meng fell 13 storeys down the lift shaft of Ocean Building during demolition work.

Situated near the junction of Ardmore Park Drive and Anderson Road, the site was deserted yesterday. Equipment and vehicles did not appear to have been moved since the accident.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has issued a stop-work order until investigations are completed.

A worker, Mr M. Ramasamy, manning the entrance to another worksite across Ardmore Park Drive, said he had seen no one at the accident site since he arrived for work at 7am yesterday.

Mr Ramasamy, 33, was on duty when Mr Low was killed. The Indian national said he had heard a 'big noise' at about 6pm.

'It was followed by a lot of shouting and rushing around until the ambulance and the rescue people came.

'I found out later that a Singaporean worker had died. I feel sad for his family.'

Mr Loh's eldest daughter, Whee Chan, 29, told The Straits Times the family had received no news since the accident.

'I want the authorities to give us a detailed report and tell us what exactly happened. All they say is they are still investigating.'

Speaking over the telephone from her father's wake, the civil servant said: 'My father worked for 29 years and only two or three years ago, was his salary increased by $200 to $1,800 when he became a foreman.

'The money did not match the risks.'

Ms Loh added that her mother, a housewife, is taking the loss very badly.

Mr Loh had worked for demolition company Neo & Goh Construction for 17 years. Its director, Mr Goh Eng Hoe, 59, said this is its first serious accident.

He was not at the site at the time. He added: 'MOM and the police are interviewing the project manager and other workers to find out what went wrong.'