He helped pull man from under a truck

Software engineer Asif Iqbal was heading out for lunch at 11.50am on July 23 near his workplace at Hyflux Innovation Centre on Bendemeer Road when he heard cries for help.

The 33-year-old was shocked when he saw about 15 people trying to lift a trailer truck. A 35-year-old South Korean man, Mr Kim Seong Mo, had been run over by the truck and was pinned under a back wheel.

The commotion prompted Mr Asif to rush over to get a closer look.

"At first, I was scared but after seeing the man fighting for his life beneath the truck, I wanted to do something to help him," said Mr Asif, who is from Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu.

He then crawled under the truck and joined Filipino design engineer Davide Dennis Cruz to help get

Mr Kim out. "I held onto his shoulder while the other guy held onto his chest to try to get him out," he said. Mr Asif added that he tried to keep Mr Kim conscious and comfort him by saying: "Don't worry, you're in safe hands." He also called the police and was told that an ambulance was on its way.

Mr Kim was in Singapore on a business trip. He suffered a fractured right leg and is recovering at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

A 90-second video of the incident, which showed about 30 bystanders rushing to lift the truck to free him, went viral on social media.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean shared a screenshot of the video and said it was "truly heartwarming to see the Singapore spirit!".

On July 26, Mr Asif was among a group of 16 who were given awards by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for their public-spiritedness.

His colleagues have commended him for his act but he is just "thankful that I managed to play a part in saving the man". Mr Asif added: "My wife was very proud of me."

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