Nicoll Highway collapse At about 3.30 p.m. on 20 April 2004, a section of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) tunnel being built underneath Nicoll Highway collapsed. The tunnel formed part of the Circle Line project. The cave- in resulted in a hole 150 metres in width, 100 metres in length and 30 metres in depth, cutting across six lanes of the Nicoll Highway.

The collapse claimed the lives of four persons: Vadivil Nadeson, a crane operator; Liu Rong Quan, a construction worker; John Tan Lock Yong, a Land Transport Authority (LTA) engineer; and Heng Yeow Peow, a foreman. Three others were also injured. Repairs to the tunnel and the highway took eight months.

Investigations revealed that the probable cause of the collapse was the failure of a retaining wall built to hold up the tunnel. An inquiry found the main contractor, Nishimatsu Construction Co., and its officers, as well as several LTA officers, responsible for the collapse. Nishimatsu was fined $200,000 for failing to ensure that the worksite was safe, while Ng Seng Yoong, a former project director of the MRT’s Circle Line, was fined $8,000 for negligence. Three senior executives of Nishimatsu were also given fines ranging from $120,000 to $160,000.

Photo credit: Singapore Press Holdings/ The Straits Times