SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) will convene an internal panel to investigate the sinkhole that emerged along Tanjong Katong Road South on 26 July 2025.
Speaking at the site on 29 July 2025, Singapore Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu offered a public apology for what she described as a “serious incident” that “should not have happened”.
The sinkhole appeared near a Public Utilities Board (PUB) worksite involved in constructing a 16-metre-deep shaft. The incident caused a car to fall into the cavity.
The driver was rescued by migrant workers working nearby and was subsequently taken to Raffles Hospital.
Grace Fu extended her “sincere apology” to the injured driver for the ordeal and injury suffered.
She also apologised to residents, motorists, and commuters affected by the closure and its wider disruption.
“To the injured driver, I offer my sincere apology for her injury suffered, as well as going through a harrowing experience,” said Grace Fu.
She added that MSE and PUB regret the anxiety caused to residents and the inconvenience to motorists and commuters.
The internal panel will include experts from various fields relevant to the incident.
Grace Fu stressed that national water agency PUB would fully cooperate with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
On 28 July 2025, BCA announced that it had launched an independent investigation into the formation of the sinkhole.
The probe aims to uncover the circumstances that led to the failure and determine the root causes.
Grace Fu said that having both an internal and independent investigation would help to establish facts more thoroughly.
Both reviews are expected to take a similar amount of time, potentially spanning several months.
When asked if a burst water pipe reported the night before could have contributed to the sinkhole, Grace Fu assured the public that all evidence would be reviewed and findings would be made known.
Residents living nearby have raised concerns about the noise from repair works carried out through the night. Grace Fu acknowledged the disturbance but described it as a “fine trade-off”.
“The more we stop work at night, we may not be able to carry out the rectification work as quickly as we like,” she said.
“We will do our very best to mitigate the noise to its fullest, but I hope residents will understand that we need to do this quickly to stabilise the situation so that public safety is protected.”
PUB stated that the affected shaft was backfilled to stabilise the surrounding area, and the sinkhole was filled with liquefied stabilised soil.
The national water agency is also conducting rigorous tests and underground scans to check for additional cavities and confirm the stability of the ground before any further repair work continues.
PUB explained that the incident was linked to the failure of a concrete component known as a cassion ring at around 5.50pm on 26 July 2025.
It remains unclear what caused the failure of the cassion ring.
PUB has since initiated a “safety time-out” to review similar sewer works across Singapore to prevent similar occurrences.
Tanjong Katong Road South between Mountbatten Road and East Coast Parkway remains closed until further notice.
The Ministry said the road might stay closed for several more days to allow for repairs and safety assessments.
These assessments are being carried out in consultation with BCA and the Land Transport Authority. Ensuring the road’s structural integrity and public safety remains the top priority before reopening can proceed.
The Ministry has pledged to keep the public informed of developments and urged residents and road users to exercise patience as investigations and repairs continue.
The post Grace Fu apologises over Tanjong Katong sinkhole; road closure likely to continue for days appeared first on The Online Citizen.
