SINGAPORE – A 44-year-old man who was driving a prime mover died after his vehicle went off the pier at Keppel Terminal and fell into the sea early on Tuesday (Jan 31) morning.
The police said they received a call for assistance at 1.45am at 101 Keppel Road. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that upon its arrival at the accident site, a trailer was seen at the edge of a shipping berth.
The prime mover, which had been attached to the trailer, had fallen into the sea and was fully submerged, it said.
It added that workers from port operator PSA Singapore helped to prevent the trailer from moving, while divers from the SCDF's Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team conducted an underwater search.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said its Marine Safety Control Centre was alerted to the incident at about 2am. An MPA patrol craft was deployed immediately to set up a cordon to assist in the rescue operations.
The SCDF said the divers retrieved the driver's body from the vehicle at a depth of 14m, and a paramedic pronounced him dead at the scene.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesman for PSA Singapore said: "The driver's body was recovered at 4.30am.
"PSA extends our heartfelt condolences to (his) family and, together with his employer, we will render support and assistance to them. There are no disruptions to port operations and investigations are ongoing."
The police have ruled out foul play based on preliminary investigations, and said investigations are ongoing.
The MPA said the accident had no impact on traffic movement in port waters.
The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Manpower for comment.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.