Second migrant worker dies after PIE accident involving lorry and tipper truck

Jean Iau
The Straits Times
April 23, 2021

A second migrant worker who was travelling in the back of a lorry that crashed into a stationary tipper truck on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) has died.

The man, Mr Sugunan Sudheeshmon, 28, from Kerala, India, died from his injuries in hospital.

In a Facebook post on Friday (April 23) morning, the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) said: "We are in contact with his mother, who is also working in Singapore, to extend our assistance and deepest condolences to her and the family."

A volunteer at non-profit organisation ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR) said a counsellor from IRR has been speaking to Mr Sugunan’s mother, who is a domestic worker here. She had visited her son in hospital on Thursday night before he died.

Mr Sugunan had a wife and an 18-month-old child. His wife is not aware of her husband’s fate, added the IRR volunteer.

MWC said it is working with the worker’s employer to furnish the documentation and claims needed to file for the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) compensation.

Five workers remain in hospital after the accident on Tuesday morning, one of whom has been moved from the intensive care unit to the high dependency unit, added MWC. 

There were 17 workers sitting at the back of the lorry as it made its way to a worksite in Woodlands. 

Mr Toffazal Hossain, a 33-year-old Bangladeshi, died from his injuries in hospital on Tuesday. MWC said it has contacted Mr Toffazal’s brother to better understand their family situation and the assistance they require.

He is survived by his parents, three sisters who are all married, a younger brother who is still studying, his wife and a two-year-old son. 

“He was the sole bread winner of the family. We are also in touch with Mr Toffazal’s wife to see how else can we help them tide through this very difficult period, until WICA compensation is paid out,” said MWC.

The lorry driver, a 36-year-old man, has been arrested for careless driving causing death.

The police were alerted at 6.06am to the accident on the PIE towards Changi Airport before the Jalan Bahar exit. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said two people were found trapped in the rear compartment of the lorry. They were rescued using hydraulic equipment.

The lorry passengers, aged between 23 and 46, were taken to National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. Two of the workers were unconscious after the accident. 

The Straits Times understands that all of the passengers are foreign workers who work for Bright Asia Construction.

MWC said in an earlier Facebook post that the workers should be protected under the WICA as the accident took place while they were en route to the worksite. 

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