1 worker dead, 2 in ICU after inhaling poisonous gas at PUB plant

MOM calls halt to tank cleaning work after incident at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks

- Agqil Hamzah

A 40-year-old worker has died after inhaling a poisonous gas while carrying out routine tank cleaning at national water agency PUB's Choa Chu Kang Waterworks on May 23.

The worker - an Indian national - was one of three men aged between 24 and 40 who had collapsed and were found unconscious at the plant at about 11.15am.

All three were taken to hospital unconscious, where the worker died. The two surviving workers are in the intensive care unit at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, said PUB in a statement.

The two men are Malaysians who are aged 24 and 39, and employed as general workers, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a statement.

MOM added that the man who died was a cleaning operations manager and, along with the older Malaysian, was employed by Supersonic Maintenance Services. The younger Malaysian works for Stargroup Est.

The ministry said it is investigating and has instructed PUB to stop all tank cleaning work.