Indian worker helps woman escape submerged car in water-filled sinkhole on Singapore road.
An Indian foreign worker in Singapore is being hailed across the island for his bravery after a dramatic rescue in which he assisted in rescuing a woman who had fallen into a sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road South. The accident took place on Saturday night when a huge water-filled sinkhole appeared without warning and engulfed a vehicle.
The collapse of the road occurred near one of PUB's current work sites, according to Singapore's Public Utilities Board (PUB). One of the first responders was 46-year-old site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, who is an employee of Ohin Construction.
Subbiah, who is an Indian from India and has been living in Singapore for 22 years, was taking a nap when he heard a huge noise and saw the ground collapsing. He then saw that a car had gone into the sinkhole. With urgency, he instructed three of his workers to let down a nylon rope to the woman trapped.
The woman was able to open the door of her car and get a hold of the rope. Subbiah and his team pulled her up before she could be safely brought out of the hole. She was taken immediately to Raffles Hospital for treatment.
Discussing the incident, Subbiah said on Channel News Asia, "I was afraid, but every emotion was that this woman should be rescued first. ((At the end of it all), I was grateful that we had rescued a life." He continued, "In my mind, the fact that somebody had slipped in, no matter what ensued, we had to get her out of there as fast as we could. That was our thought process, and that was the determination and the sense of urgency with which we rescued her."
Subbiah's cool and altruistic gesture has invited praise on social media. A Reddit user posted, "Don't know if he meets the requirements for Permanent Residence but Pitchai certainly deserves to be extended."
Another person posted, "Get a medal and honorary citizenship. He has done more for this country's people than anyone working in CBP and MBFC."
As a reaction to the event, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) announced that it will be calling the workers involved to 'commend them for their courage and swift action in saving a life'.
