PIE accident leaves one dead, 16 injured

A 33-year-old man, who was one of 17 migrant workers travelling in the back of a lorry, died after the vehicle hit a stationary tipper truck on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) early yesterday morning.

The Bangladeshi man died of his injuries in hospital, while the other 16 workers were also taken to hospital.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) said seven of the workers are still hospitalised, with two of them in intensive care.

The remaining nine have been discharged after being treated for minor injuries.

A 36-year-old male lorry driver was arrested for careless driving causing death.

The police said that they were alerted at about 6.05am to the accident on the PIE towards Changi Airport, before the Jalan Bahar exit.

The Straits Times understands that all the lorry passengers, who are from India and Bangladesh, work for Bright Asia Construction and were on the way to Woodlands Industrial Park.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that two of the passengers were trapped in the rear compartment of the lorry. They were rescued using hydraulic rescue equipment.

The passengers, aged between 23 and 46, were taken to National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

The police said two of them were unconscious after the accident.

A Facebook video posted at around 10.30am shows the aftermath of the accident.

In the video, several men can be seen lying on the road, surrounded by at least two ambulances and a fire engine.

According to the Land Transport Authority, the accident caused traffic congestion on the PIE up to Pioneer Road North.

When contacted by ST, a man from Bright Asia Construction said that investigations are ongoing. He declined to comment further.

In response to queries from ST, the Manpower Ministry said that its Assurance, Care and Engagement Group officers are working closely with MWC and the employer to take care of the affected workers' well-being.

MWC said in its Facebook post that the workers should be protected under the Work Injury Compensation Act (Wica) as the accident took place while they were en route to the work site.

It said: "For the affected workers, MWC will be working with the hospitals and employer to visit them and most importantly, reassure them that we're here to provide them with the necessary care and support."

The non-governmental organisation said that its members will also contact the dead worker's loved ones to offer their sympathies and extend interim financial assistance to them, "as it will take some time for Wica to be paid out".

Contributions to the affected workers or towards the cause of supporting needy or distressed migrant workers can be made at giving.sg/mwaf