Nicoll Highway collapse
Encyclopedia
The Nicoll Highway collapse was a construction
accident
that occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Singapore Time (UTC+8:00) on 20 April 2004 in Singapore
when a tunnel being constructed for use by MRT
trains collapsed. The tunnel was part of the construction of the underground Circle MRT Line
, near the Nicoll Highway MRT Station
. The supporting structure for the deep excavation work failed, resulting in a 30-metre (100 ft) deep cave-in that spread across six lanes of Nicoll Highway
. The collapse killed four people and injured three. The accident has delayed the construction end date for the MRT station.
could not handle the stress of holding up the tunnel, forcing it to give way. This occurred near the Nicoll Highway MRT station under construction along the Circle Line and near the Merdeka Bridge.
The rescue efforts were called off on April 23, 2004 because of the low chance of survival by that point, as well as danger to the rescue teams. There was also the increasing need to stabilize the ground around the accident site to reduce the risk of further collapses. All six lanes of the Nicoll Highway were heavily damaged, rendering the road unusable. The highway re-opened on December 4, 2004 after reconstruction efforts.
A committee of inquiry found main contractor Nishimatsu Construction Company and its officers as well as Land Transport Authority
officers responsible for the collapse. Several other officers and subcontractors were reprimanded and issued warnings in connection with the accident. As a result of the accident, Stages 1 and 2 of the Circle line were delayed. Stage 3 of the line, Bartley
to Marymount
stations opened first on 28 May 2009. The partially built station structure was abandoned, and the affected station has been shifted about 100 metres (330 ft) away from the accident site. Eventually, Nicoll Highway MRT Station started operations on 17 April 2010.
A Malaysian of India
n descent, his body was the first to be recovered. The 44-year-old had reportedly tried to escape by jumping out from his crane when the incident occurred. He was found caught between a pick-up truck and a container.
The body of the 36-year-old Chinese
national from Jiangsu
province was found wedged between the wheel and chassis of a 10-tonne truck. Liu had started working at the site just ten days before the incident. He left behind a wife and daughter.
The third victim to be found, Tan was due to finish his contract with LTA at the end of 2004 and had planned to migrate to Australia
or New Zealand
then. He leaves behind his wife, a grown-up daughter and a son.
The body of the 40-year-old Singaporean was never recovered. According to survivor accounts, Heng had selflessly hurried his workers to safety but himself was trapped when the collapse occurred. Heng left behind his wife, two young children, his 70-year-old mother and nine siblings.
The first man being put on trial is Ng Seng Yoong who is a former project director of the Circle MRT Line
who also monitored the excavation and design work in his other capacity as the Qualified Person
on the site. He faces one charge of breaching conditions under the Building Control Act. Arguments were made that readings of instruments on site have indicated that things were not going as planned, but the warnings were not acted upon. On November 24, 2005, Ng was fined $8,000 (SGD
) by the court.
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
accident
Accident
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...
that occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Singapore Time (UTC+8:00) on 20 April 2004 in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
when a tunnel being constructed for use by MRT
Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
trains collapsed. The tunnel was part of the construction of the underground Circle MRT Line
Circle MRT Line
The Circle Line is Singapore's fourth Mass Rapid Transit line, operated by SMRT Corporation. This underground line is currently long with 28 stations and is fully automatically operated...
, near the Nicoll Highway MRT Station
Nicoll Highway MRT Station
Nicoll Highway MRT Station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Circle Line in Singapore. It was under construction when the Nicoll Highway collapse occurred on April 20, 2004 causing four deaths and injuring three. The collapse set back the completion of the Circle MRT Line Stage 1...
. The supporting structure for the deep excavation work failed, resulting in a 30-metre (100 ft) deep cave-in that spread across six lanes of Nicoll Highway
Nicoll Highway
Nicoll Highway is a major arterial road in Singapore which links Kallang to the city. En route, it passes through the areas of Kallang, Kampong Glam and Marina Centre....
. The collapse killed four people and injured three. The accident has delayed the construction end date for the MRT station.
Causes
Investigations and probes into the collapse commenced immediately. It eventually was found that the most apparent cause of the collapse was that the retaining wallRetaining wall
Retaining walls are built in order to hold back earth which would otherwise move downwards. Their purpose is to stabilize slopes and provide useful areas at different elevations, e.g...
could not handle the stress of holding up the tunnel, forcing it to give way. This occurred near the Nicoll Highway MRT station under construction along the Circle Line and near the Merdeka Bridge.
Consequences of the collapse
The accident left a collapse zone 150 m (490 ft) wide, 100 m (330 ft) long, and 30 m (100 ft) deep. Four workers were killed, with three more injured. Steel beams were twisted, with two construction cranes being swallowed up. A substantial chunk of the main highway running over the tunnel was also knocked out.The rescue efforts were called off on April 23, 2004 because of the low chance of survival by that point, as well as danger to the rescue teams. There was also the increasing need to stabilize the ground around the accident site to reduce the risk of further collapses. All six lanes of the Nicoll Highway were heavily damaged, rendering the road unusable. The highway re-opened on December 4, 2004 after reconstruction efforts.
A committee of inquiry found main contractor Nishimatsu Construction Company and its officers as well as Land Transport Authority
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
officers responsible for the collapse. Several other officers and subcontractors were reprimanded and issued warnings in connection with the accident. As a result of the accident, Stages 1 and 2 of the Circle line were delayed. Stage 3 of the line, Bartley
Bartley MRT Station
Bartley MRT Station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Circle Line in Singapore. The station is situated along Bartley Road outside Maris Stella High School. There are 2 exit and entry points for this station which was constructed under Stage 3 of the Circle Line...
to Marymount
Marymount MRT Station
Marymount MRT Station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Circle Line in Singapore. There are 2 exit and entry points to the station, one of which serves Shunfu Estate while the other is located near the western end of Raffles Institution...
stations opened first on 28 May 2009. The partially built station structure was abandoned, and the affected station has been shifted about 100 metres (330 ft) away from the accident site. Eventually, Nicoll Highway MRT Station started operations on 17 April 2010.
The victims
- Vadivil s/o Nadeson, crane operator
A Malaysian of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent, his body was the first to be recovered. The 44-year-old had reportedly tried to escape by jumping out from his crane when the incident occurred. He was found caught between a pick-up truck and a container.
- Liu Rong Quan , construction worker
The body of the 36-year-old Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
national from Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
province was found wedged between the wheel and chassis of a 10-tonne truck. Liu had started working at the site just ten days before the incident. He left behind a wife and daughter.
- John Tan Lock Yong , Land Transport AuthorityLand Transport AuthorityThe Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
engineer
The third victim to be found, Tan was due to finish his contract with LTA at the end of 2004 and had planned to migrate to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
or New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
then. He leaves behind his wife, a grown-up daughter and a son.
- Heng Yeow Peow , foreman
The body of the 40-year-old Singaporean was never recovered. According to survivor accounts, Heng had selflessly hurried his workers to safety but himself was trapped when the collapse occurred. Heng left behind his wife, two young children, his 70-year-old mother and nine siblings.
Criminal trials
Four men are facing criminal charges in the wake of the Nicoll Highway Collapse.The first man being put on trial is Ng Seng Yoong who is a former project director of the Circle MRT Line
Circle MRT Line
The Circle Line is Singapore's fourth Mass Rapid Transit line, operated by SMRT Corporation. This underground line is currently long with 28 stations and is fully automatically operated...
who also monitored the excavation and design work in his other capacity as the Qualified Person
Qualified Person
Qualified Person is a technical term used in European Union pharmaceutical regulation...
on the site. He faces one charge of breaching conditions under the Building Control Act. Arguments were made that readings of instruments on site have indicated that things were not going as planned, but the warnings were not acted upon. On November 24, 2005, Ng was fined $8,000 (SGD
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
) by the court.
External links
- IAP class probes Singapore highway collapse — MIT report
- Special report — Channel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
- Nicoll Highway collapse — Singapore Civil Defence ForceSingapore Civil Defence ForceThe Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...
- Nicoll Highway Collapse - Singapore Infopedia