Seven migrant workers who helped rescue a driver from a sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road South last weekend have been invited to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana, a CNA report said.
The President’s Office confirmed on Wednesday, July 30, that these workers will attend the Istana open house on Sunday, where there will be opportunities for them to interact with the president and other guests.
The workers had sprung into action last Saturday evening, July 27, after a car plunged into a sinkhole near their worksite. The site is part of an ongoing project by the national water agency PUB, involving the construction of a 16-metre-deep shaft to connect three existing sewer lines.
According to PUB, a concrete component in the shaft failed at around 5.50 pm, which led to the formation of the sinkhole. The car, which was passing over the road at the time, fell in.
Site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, quickly led the rescue efforts along with his co-workers Velmurugan Muthusamy, 27, Poomalai Saravanan, 28, Ganesan Veerasekar, 32, Bose Ajithkumar, 26, Narayanasamy Mayakrishnan, 25, and Sathapillai Rajendran, 56. The team pulled the driver — a woman — to safety using a rope, within minutes of the incident.
Their prompt response has earned praise from across the country. President Tharman himself acknowledged their courage in a Facebook post: “Bravo! Thanks to the migrant workers led by foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah. They moved quickly and with courage.”
On the same day, the seven workers were honoured by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash with a Friends of ACE appreciation coin. The coin is awarded by the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group to migrant workers who demonstrate courage, initiative or public spiritedness in times of need. It is also given to those who contribute meaningfully to the well-being of the migrant worker community.
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While the coin gesture sparked discussion online about whether it was enough to recognise the men’s bravery, the Ministry said it was “encouraged” by the feedback and acknowledged the calls for further appreciation.
Meanwhile, charity group ItsRainingRaincoats launched a donation campaign that received an overwhelming response from the public.
Singapore Sinkhole: A woman was taken to the hospital after her car was swallowed up by a sinkhole in Tanjong Katong, Singapore. She was fortunately rescued conscious by several workers using a rope. The appearance of the sinkhole was attributed to a water main pipe burst. pic.twitter.com/0YONNzX0yl
— John Cremeans (@JohnCremeansX) July 27, 2025
The group announced on Wednesday that it had successfully raised its target of SGD 70,000 for the seven migrant workers. The final amount collected was SGD 72,241 from 1,639 donors.
“Thank you Singapore for your overwhelming kindness and generosity to the brave sinkhole rescue migrant worker heroes!” the organisation wrote on Facebook.
It also stated that the funds would be equally shared among the workers and transferred directly to their bank accounts. A meet-and-greet event with the workers will be arranged soon, according to the group.
