Site supervisor dies after canopy collapses under weight of bricks at Jalan Usaha worksite

A 30-year-old Bangladeshi site supervisor has died after a newly constructed cast concrete canopy gave way under approximately six tonnes of bricks at a residential construction site in Singapore, completely burying him under the rubble.

The incident occurred at approximately 10.30am on Friday, 16 May 2025, at 5 Jalan Usaha, off Upper Paya Lebar Road. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the police were alerted shortly after.

The man was taken unconscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The police said preliminary investigations do not point to foul play, and that investigations are ongoing.

Scene described in early reporting

Lianhe Zaobao was the first to report the incident, after being alerted by a reader. Its reporter arrived at the scene at approximately 11.40am and observed three police vehicles outside the site, including one belonging to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Several individuals believed to be site personnel, along with two workers, were present and assisting police. A cordon was established around the incident area within minutes of the reporter's arrival.

The reporter observed that a section of newly constructed concrete on the second storey, which had been supporting building materials, had cracked entirely and given way, leaving a prominent gap in the structure. Red bricks were strewn across the ground floor, surrounded by brick fragments, wooden boards and construction debris.

An unnamed worker told Lianhe Zaobao that approximately four to five workers had been on site at the time of the incident. The concrete floor on the second storey was suspected to have given way without warning under the weight of the accumulated bricks. The falling concrete and bricks struck the Bangladeshi worker and buried him completely under the rubble.

How the incident unfolded

A project manager from employer LCN Pte. Ltd. (LCN), who wished to be identified only as Lau, told The Straits Times on 17 May 2025 that the supervisor was suspected of having instructed colleagues to place the bricks on the canopy, despite having previously been told not to do so.

"The canopy collapsed less than five minutes after the lorry crane had placed the bricks on it," Lau said. "It could not bear the weight of the bricks, and together they fell on him."

The reason for the instruction remained unclear, though Lau speculated it may have been an attempt to shelter the materials from rain earlier that morning. "We are not sure why he gave the instruction, or why he was standing there, but it was possibly to shelter the bricks because of the rain in the morning," he said.

The deceased had been with LCN for approximately six months and was described as an experienced worker.

Regulatory response

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) confirmed that both the site occupier and the deceased's employer were LCN and ordered all works at the site to stop. MOM reiterated that construction materials must not be placed on structures not designed to bear their load.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said it would revoke the permit for the building works and issue a stop-work order to allow for further investigation into the cause of the collapse.

BCA said it had verified, through the qualified person's (QP) initial investigation, that the structural integrity of neighbouring properties remained unaffected and posed no safety concerns. The QP is required to submit an investigation report and rectification proposals to BCA before works can resume.

Project background and company response

Lau said the project involved constructing a new two-and-a-half-storey house on a site where a previous structure had been demolished. He said he had personally alerted SCDF and the police following the collapse.

LCN said it was making arrangements to claim the body and provide assistance to the deceased's family once the autopsy was completed, with the project on hold while investigations continued.

"Nobody wanted this to happen, but we want to maintain accountability to stakeholders, including the workers, authorities and the house's owner," Lau said. He added that the company would remind other supervisors about safety requirements going forward.