TRAGEDY: Four people died when a temporary wall at an MRT worksite caved in and a 100m stretch of Nicoll Highway collapsed in 2004. -- ST FILE PHOTO

View more photos

In a High Court hearing on Monday, the three construction firms involved agreed to pay $380,000, plus $30,000 in legal costs to his widow and two children.

Lawyers for Nishimatsu Corporation, Nishimatsu Lum Chang JV and Kori Construction reached the settlement - with no admission of fault on their part - with Mr Heng's widow Madam Poa Beng Hong, and her sister Poa Beng Huay, who are administering his estate.

Mr Heng was hailed a hero after the April 2004 tragedy which also killed three other workers when a temporary wall at a Circle Line MRT worksite caved in, leading to the collapse of a 100m stretch of Nicoll Highway.

The 40-year-old had jumped into the rubble to save eight fellow workers, and paid for it with his life.

His body was never found.

Claims and payouts Construction foreman Heng Yeow Pheow, 40, died at the bottom of a tunnel while shouting for co-workers to escape. His family was on Monday awarded $410,000 following a lawsuit against three construction firms. Land Transport Authority inspector of works Tan Lock Yong, 56, was killed in his last project before retirement. He was pinned between a truck and an excavator in a flooded crater. His family accepted insurance payouts and compensation of more than $100,000. ... more

Madam Poa had agonised over whether to go ahead with the suit, as she struggled to come to terms with her husband's death. She decided to sue only last year.

On Monday, Assistant Registrar Kenneth Yap ruled that half the settlement sum should be given to Madam Poa, while the other half should be divided equally between his two children Daniel, 14, and Joann, 11, when they reach 21.

Till then, their half is to be managed by the Public Trustee, who can give Madam Poa $500 per month for each child, to pay for their expenses.

As for the families of the three other victims, one accepted workmen's compensation, another was covered by insurance, while the third opted to sue.

Nishimatsu is the main contractor for the $273 million Circle Line project while its joint venture with Lum Chang Builders provided general building engineering services.

The third defendant, Kori Construction, was Mr Heng's employer.

Among other things, the suit alleged Kori had inadequate training or evacuation drills to ensure its workers were aware of the dangers posed by deep digging work.

The suit also relied on the MOM 2005 Committee of Inquiry report which pinned the blame on Nishimatsu, ruling that the company's negligence led to the collapse.

In January last year, Nishimatsu was fined the maximum $200,000 after it admitted its design errors had resulted in a retaining wall at the worksite being too weak, leading to the collapse.

But the three defendants had made clear in documents submitted in the run-up to Monday's hearing, that they were disputing Madam Poa's claims alleging negligence that led to her husband's death.

Mr Heng's employer Kori Construction had also taken out two Edusaver insurance policies for his children as a goodwill gesture. These policies, for which it had paid about $30,000 in premiums so far, will continue until she turns 18 and he 21.

The public had also made donations to the family, and a public trust fund has been set up.

For Mr Heng's widow, Monday's court settlement meant the end of over three years of anguish.

'At first, it was really hard for us, but with time we have gotten stronger although we have not totally accepted that he is gone,' she told The Straits Times.

'Now that the case is settled, I don't have to think, I don't have to worry so much,' she added. 'I am more relaxed.'

vijayan@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY TRACY SUA