The 24-year-old Indian national, Arumugam Ilayaraja, was working on a slope in front of Block 632 Bukit Batok Central with his co-workers.

It is not known how the drilling machine, which was parked along the side of road, had come to be dislodged.

It struck Mr Arumugam's head and neck.

When the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived, he was already dead.

A 38-year-old coffeeshop assistant told the Shin Min Daily News that she heard a loud 'bang' and then saw a man bleeding profusely lying on the slope.

Police are investigating the case as unnatural death.