89 workers injured in Jurong Shipyard accident

89 workers injured in Jurong Shipyard accident
By S Ramesh/Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 03 December 2012 1442 hrs
     
SINGAPORE: Eighty-nine workers were injured in a rig accident at Jurong Shipyard on Monday morning.

Eighty have since been discharged. Six remain in normal wards while another three are under observation.

The injured workers were sent to four hospitals, including the National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday afternoon that the accident happened at the worksite of Jurong Shipyard in Tanjong Kling Road.

Preliminary findings indicate that the jack-up mechanism of one of the legs of a three-legged jackup rig had failed, causing the rig to tilt to one side.

MOM said most of the workers had minor injuries.

Officers from its Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate are at the site to investigate the accident. All work has stopped at the rig.

Sembcorp Marine, which owns the shipyard, said the incident happened at about 10.30am during a test to jack up the rig which was under construction.

It said all personnel working on board are accounted for - with no fatalities.

The shipyard is investigating the cause of the incident.

Channel NewAsia understands that most of the injured workers are from India and Bangladesh.

Workers told Channel NewsAsia that they were conducting welding, fitting and piping works on the rig when it started to tilt.

In response to media queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it did not receive any calls for assistance.

However, it acted on information of a large number of casualties in an industrial area in 29, Tanjong Kling Road.

The SCDF said it sent officers from Jurong Fire Station to the scene at 12.48pm. By the time they arrived, all the casualties had already been sent to hospital.

- CNA/xq/de

- wong chee tat :)