Passer-by injured after landslide at BTO construction site in Clementi

SINGAPORE: A man sustained minor injuries after a landslide occurred at a construction site for Build-to-Order (BTO) flats in Clementi on Friday (Sep 2) morning. 

In a Facebook post, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said the incident at the Clementi NorthArc BTO site resulted in "soil displacement" into Sungei Ulu Pandan, causing damage to the Ulu Pandan park connector. 

"A male passer-by, who suffered some minor injuries and was attended to at site, is now resting at home. Agencies are in touch with him to render any further assistance that may be necessary," said HDB. 

No other injuries were reported. 

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has issued a stop-work order for the affected location. Works for the buildings that are not affected can proceed, it said.

BCA and HDB engineers, together with a professional engineer, have assessed the buildings in the immediate area and confirmed they remain structurally sound, said BCA in an update on Friday afternoon.

The builder and professional engineer have to carry out "slope stabilisation measures" and monitor the soil movement, BCA added.

HDB added it is working with the national water agency PUB, the National Parks Board (NParks), and the BCA to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, and to carry out the necessary recovery action. 

In an update on Friday evening, HDB said that the "slope failure" had occurred at the edge of the construction site, where a retaining wall was being constructed to prepare for the subsequent building of a future basketball court and pavilion in the area.

Immediate measures to mitigate the impact of the "slope failure" are being carried out, including applying a thin layer of concrete to stabilise the slope within the site - this will be completed by Friday night - as well as creating a channel to improve water flow through the canal.

As part of the recovery measures, HDB said it will be working to remove the dislodged soil in the canal, reinstate the damaged part of the park connector, as well as reconstruct the slope and retaining walls within the site. Works are expected to start next week.

For safety reasons, the area around the site, including the park connector next to it, has been temporarily cordoned off and will not be accessible by the public.

"We will keep flat buyers updated should there be any changes to the completion date of their flats," said HDB.

In a Facebook post on Friday afternoon, PUB said a section of Ulu Pandan canal was affected by the landslide.

"There have been some concerns over potential flooding and if the canal is choked," the agency said.

"At present, water can still flow in Sungei Ulu Pandan and HDB is working on the earth removal within the canal. Water quality in the nearest reservoir, Pandan Reservoir, is not affected by this incident."

PUB is monitoring the incident and has deployed its quick response team vehicles at locations upstream of the canal. They are on standby to respond to any potential flooding if it rains heavily, said the agency

Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann told reporters that the damage has been quite extensive and that the immediate priority is to restore water flow in Ulu Pandan canal.

A "fairly long stretch" of the park connectors on both banks of the canal, from Ghim Moh to the Ayer Rajah Expressway, will be closed, she said.

"We know that many residents use this stretch of park connectors regularly for recreation as well as moving point to point. It will cause some inconvenience, but we do seek the public's understanding," said Ms Sim, who is also a Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

She also addressed concerns from some buyers of the BTO flats on whether the collection of keys will be delayed. She said that HDB has done a preliminary assessment and sees no reason to delay the collection of keys.

When CNA arrived at about 11.15am on Friday, two excavators were moving soil from the slope.

Several migrant workers told CNA that they arrived at 8am but were told they could not start work. According to them, the landslide occurred in the early hours of the morning.

Residents who spoke to CNA said they were unaware of the incident and they did not hear any loud sounds during the night. Some expressed concerns about their safety.

“We’re worried because we stay on such a high floor so if anything happens again, it could affect us,” said Ms Florence Yeo, who stays on the 32nd floor of a block across the affected site.

Ms Amy Ng, who moved into her flat at Blk 208B Clementi Avenue 6 about five years ago, said she was concerned when she first saw construction work in the area.

“I saw that they were doing work on a slope and that raised some alarms in my mind. But I trusted that the authorities knew what they were doing, so I wasn’t worried about it," she said in Mandarin.

"Now I’m worried (if) it happens again and it affects my house. Who is going to pay if there are any damages?”

An entrance to the park connector next to the affected site was cordoned off. The pavement appeared to be disjointed with cracks in several parts.