SINGAPORE: The seven migrant workers who rescued the driver from the Tanjong Katong sinkhole last weekend have been invited to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana, his office said on Wednesday (Jul 30).
The President’s Office told CNA that it had invited the migrant workers involved in the sinkhole rescue, along other guests, to the Istana open house this Sunday.
They are: Site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, and his co-workers Mr Velmurugan Muthusamy, 27, Mr Poomalai Saravanan, 28, Mr Ganesan Veerasekar, 32, Mr Bose Ajithkumar, 26, Mr Narayanasamy Mayakrishnan, 25, and Mr Sathapillai Rajendran, 56.
“There will be opportunities for interaction between the guests – including the migrant workers – and the president during the Istana open house,” the President’s Office added.
The site where the sinkhole opened up along Tanjong Katong Road South is adjacent to an active PUB worksite involving the construction of a 16m-deep shaft to connect three existing sewer lines.
A concrete component in the shaft “failed” at around 5.50pm last Saturday, according to the national water agency. Around the same time, a sinkhole formed on the adjacent road, causing a car to fall in.
Mr Subbiah’s quick thinking, along with that of his fellow workers, helped pull the woman to safety with a rope within minutes. Their actions have since drawn widespread praise, with Mr Tharman also acknowledging their bravery.
“Bravo! Thanks to the migrant workers led by foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah. They moved quickly and with courage,” he said in a Facebook post on Sunday evening.
