Ohin Construction Faces Multiple Charges Over Sinkhole Incident
Ohin Construction, its managing director, and several employees were charged in relation to a sinkhole that opened up along Tanjong Katong Road South in July 2025. The incident allegedly resulted from the company’s construction activities, which led to a car falling into the sinkhole. Fortunately, the female driver was rescued by workers at a nearby construction site.
The company faces eight charges under the Building Control Act, Workplace Safety and Health Act, and Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) regulations. Its managing director, 64-year-old Ivan Ong Khiaw Yang, and six other individuals were also charged.
The area where the sinkhole occurred was near a PUB worksite, where a 16-meter-deep shaft was being constructed to connect existing sewer lines. National water agency PUB and Surbana Jurong Consultants received conditional warnings under the Building Control Act.
Ohin Construction was engaged as a licensed specialist builder for ground support and stabilisation works. According to a joint statement by the Building Construction Authority (BCA), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the company is accused of carrying out unauthorised building works, road resurfacing, and specialist building works. It is also alleged to have failed to conduct mandatory tests and notify authorities of a road depression that occurred days before the sinkhole formed.
Key Allegations Against Ohin Construction
The construction works involved soil-strengthening using jet-grout piles and the casting of reinforced-concrete caisson rings. Jet grout piles are cylindrical columns of solidified soil and cement formed by injecting cement grout into the earth. A caisson ring is a reinforced concrete structure that provides structural support for deep excavations.
The company is accused of failing to ensure that the works were carried out according to approved structural plans. It allegedly constructed jet grout piles with smaller diameters and did not carry out the required jet grouting trial and other stipulated tests. Additionally, the firm created additional openings in a caisson ring and horizontal grouting works at another ring that were not approved. One of the caisson rings was allegedly cast in a non-circular shape instead of a uniformly circular one.
When the company became aware of a road depression along Tanjong Katong Road on July 15, 2025, it failed to immediately notify the Commissioner of Building Control. The company is also accused of failing to take measures for the safety and health of its employees, including ensuring there was an adequate risk assessment and safe work procedure for horizontal grouting works. Ohin Construction is also accused of failing to ensure that a video surveillance system was in good working order and operational at all times.
According to the joint statement, part of the shaft that was under construction allegedly failed at about 5:50 pm on July 26, 2025, leading to soil going into the shaft. At around the same time, the sinkhole formed at Tanjong Katong Road South.
Individuals Charged in the Case
Six others were charged in relation to this case: Ohin Construction’s managing director, 64-year-old Ong Khiaw Yang Ivan; Yau Tze Yin, 49, the qualified person appointed to supervise the carrying out of structural works; Raajkumar Nadarajan, 58, the project director at the worksite near Tanjong Katong Road South; Kee Chen Siang, 39, the qualified person appointed to prepare the plans for the structural works and supervise their implementation; Sellappan Saravanakumar, 35, who was project manager at the worksite; and Senthilnathan Mathyalakan, a 56-year-old resident engineer.
Ong was handed six charges, the most among the accused persons. A representative for Ohin Construction told the court that the company is under provisional liquidation. The cases were adjourned to July.
Response from PUB and Surbana Jurong
PUB, which received a conditional warning from BCA, said it took the matter seriously. Work on the project remains halted. For works to resume, the new project parties to be appointed by PUB would have to submit new structural plans, which would be subject to comprehensive safety assessments and approval, they added.
In response to CNA’s query, Surbana Jurong said it took the conditional warning from BCA “seriously.” “We’re continuously working to improve our procedures for identifying and escalating any irregularities on site,” the company said. “Surbana Jurong continues to work closely with PUB to deliver the project safely and is committed to upholding the highest safety standards.”
After the incident, the affected sections of Tanjong Katong Road South were closed for about a week to allow for government agencies to stabilise the ground by backfilling the sinkhole with liquefied stabilised soil.
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said last July it would convene an internal panel to investigate the cause of the sinkhole, with BCA also conducting an independent investigation into the incident.
Final Remarks
BCA, MOM, and LTA jointly said on Thursday they had completed their respective investigations into the sinkhole incident. “BCA, MOM, and LTA take a serious view of any safety or compliance breaches that place the public at risk. This incident demonstrates the critical importance of proper supervision and adherence to safety protocols. Enforcement action will be taken against public sector agencies, companies and individuals who fail to fulfil their statutory duties,” they added.
PUB on Thursday said that it had terminated its contract with Ohin for the project. The agency also blacklisted Ohin for 18 months starting in August last year, and will not award the company any new projects during that period. “The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment had also earlier convened an internal investigation panel to examine the causes of the incident and make recommendations for PUB to help prevent similar incidents,” PUB said.
“The panel has recommended that PUB strengthen its processes for identifying and responding to irregularities in projects carried out by contractors, including escalating the irregularities to the relevant authorities.” Beyond its statutory requirements, the panel also recommended that PUB reinforce the roles and responsibilities of parties involved in its construction projects, including through its regular industry engagements. The agency said that it had since implemented the recommendations.
