SINGAPORE: Migrant worker support group ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR) has announced a meet-and-greet event to honour seven workers who rescued a driver from a sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road last week.
Founded in 2015, IRR is an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of migrant workers in Singapore by fostering stronger community integration.
“We want to honour the selfless and courageous workers who stepped up to rescue a driver in the recent Tanjong Katong sinkhole incident,” the group said in a Facebook post on Friday (1 August).
The group added that their quick thinking averted a greater crisis and saved a life.
The seven men involved in the rescue are site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, and his co-workers Velmurugan Muthusamy, 27; Poomalai Saravanan, 28; Ganesan Veerasekar, 32; Bose Ajithkumar, 26; Narayanasamy Mayakrishnan, 25; and Sathapillai Rajendran, 56.
The incident occurred at about 5.50pm on Saturday (26 July) when a concrete component in a 16-metre-deep shaft under construction by PUB failed.
The shaft was part of works to connect three existing sewer lines. Shortly after the failure, a sinkhole opened on the adjacent road, causing a car to plunge into it.
Subbiah and his team acted swiftly, pulling the female driver to safety using a rope within minutes.
Their bravery has drawn widespread praise, with President Tharman acknowledging their quick thinking in a Facebook post on Sunday (27 July).
On 27 July, the workers were awarded the ACE appreciation coin by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.
The coin is a token of appreciation given to migrant workers who demonstrate courage, initiative or public-spiritedness in times of need.
The appreciation event will take place on Sunday, 10 August, from 11am to 1pm at IRR’s inspIRRe Store at 217 Henderson Road.
IRR said the gathering will celebrate the seven men’s heroic act and announce the disbursement of funds raised for them by the community.
On Wednesday (30 July), IRR announced that it had met its fundraising goal of S$70,000 for the workers.
The campaign ultimately raised S$72,241 from 1,639 donors.
Attendance is limited, and members of the public are required to RSVP via an online form.
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