Man dies after being trapped in lorry by collapsed scaffolding at Jurong Port construction site

A 23-year-old male lorry driver has died after a scaffolding collapsed onto the lorry he was in at a Jurong Port construction site on Monday (Aug 3) morning. 

A photograph of the incident shared with AsiaOne shows a section of fallen scaffolding on the lorry, crushing its cabin.

Nearby, a forklift and workers are seen working alongside Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rescuers at the collapsed structure.

AsiaOne understands that the site is where construction works for the Jurong Port Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hub is taking place. It is part of Singapore's first integrated construction park launched in November 2024.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF stated that it received a call for assistance at about 9.50am on Monday. 

"Upon SCDF's arrival, a person was found trapped in the driver's seat of a lorry after the scaffolding collapsed onto the lorry," it said. 

SCDF added that its rescue specialists from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) worked with the construction site's staff to remove the scaffolding from the lorry, adding that the trapped driver was released using hydraulic rescue equipment. 

The man was pronounced dead at the scene by a SCDF paramedic. 

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, a Jurong Port spokesperson said the company was deeply saddened by the incident and extended its condolences to the family of the deceased worker.

The spokesperson added that Jurong Port takes a serious view of all safety incidents and has established safety procedures in place at its work sites.

"We are cooperating with the authorities on the ongoing investigations to find out how the incident occurred," Jurong Port said in a statement.

In a separate statement to AsiaOne, a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson said the site is currently occupied by HPC Builders Pte Ltd, while the employer of the deceased worker is Keehans Pte Ltd. 

Checks by AsiaOne indicate that Keehans is listed as a general contractor, with secondary activities listed as the manufacture of steel structural component.

Meanwhile, the main contractor — HPC Builders — is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed HPC Holdings.

"As a general safety measure, any risks of formwork structures toppling must be identified and addressed, including ensuring that it is erected and repositioned in accordance with the approved design, and only equipment approved can be used for the formwork system," the spokesperson said.

She added that MOM is now investigating the incident and HPC has been instructed to stop all formwork activities at the worksite.

Police told AsiaOne they do not suspect any foul play based on preliminary investigations, adding that investigations are ongoing.

AsiaOne has also reached out to the Building and Construction Authority for more information.

Workplace deaths 'a cause for concern'

The latest fatality comes just over a month after MOM said on June 26 that 21 workers had died in workplace incidents so far this year, up from 18 over the same period in 2025.

Describing the recent spate of workplace deaths as "a cause for concern", the ministry said employers, supervisors and workers must remain vigilant and adhere to workplace safety requirements.

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editor@asiaone.com