According to Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), a very serious accident occurred at around 2.50 AM, SCDF was alerted to a road traffic accident at a junction of Bukit Timah Road and Selegie Road(vicinity of Little Indian).
The accident involved a taxi and a sedan. Upon SCDF’s arrival, the taxi was found toppled onto its side against a concrete barricade. Two passengers were found trapped in the back seat of the taxi.
SCDF said that the operation to rescue them was complicated and rescuers from the SCDF’s elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were sent to the scene to further assist.
Before DART’s arrival, SCDF personnel immediately stabilised the taxi using stepped chocks and blocks, together with a winch to secure its undercarriage to a fire engine. This is to avoid the vehicle from moving while the rescue was been made.
These were done to minimize movement of the wreckage during the rescue operation so as not to aggravate the precarious situation, including the condition of the trapped persons.
The taxi’s windscreen was also cut out to allow access to the casualties from the front
Upon DART’s arrival, the rescuers accessed the casualties through the taxi’s front windscreen and its rear hatch to secure and stabilize the casualties within the narrow confines of the wreckage.
Concurrently, another team of DART rescuers pried the taxi’s roof apart using hydraulic rescue equipment to create space for the casualties to be extricated safely. This delicate and complex rescue operation was successfully conducted in about an hour.
The two casualties were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) with traumatic injuries.
The drivers of the taxi and sedan were found outside of their vehicles when SCDF arrived.
SCDF had conveyed these two persons to TTSH whilst the rescue operation was ongoing.
Source: SCDF