An Indian foreign worker broke his legs in a fall down a rubbish chute at a Housing Board block in Queenstown yesterday.
The man, who is in his 20s, had been working inside the chute when the incident happened, said fellow worker Ranjith Kumar, 24. "He was working inside the rubbish chute when the rope broke," said Mr Ranjith, adding that he fell from the sixth floor and broke his legs.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the accident at Block 8 Jalan Rumah Tinggi at 10.10am. The worker was found injured on the ground floor inside a one-man cage, the SCDF said.
Rescuers used a hydraulic cutter to free him from the cage, a device similar to a gondola used to lower the worker into the chute. He was taken to the National University Hospital which was put on alert to receive him, the SCDF said.
When contacted, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it was investigating the incident. "The occupier has been instructed to stop all work-at-height activities while we investigate," said an MOM spokesman, referring to the company that employs the worker. "With further investigation, we will be able to ascertain whether a stop-work order would be necessary."
Danson Cheong and Chew Hui Min
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