On Sunday, as migrant workers were being celebrated across Singapore in line with International Migrants Day, a fatal accident occurred involving labourers travelling on the back of a lorry in the western end of the city state.
A 40-year-old man died at the scene, two passengers were taken to hospital and the driver was arrested, the authorities said.
Images of bloodied workers lying on a grass verge by the road made their rounds online, along with pictures from the back of the lorry where a large metal contraption could be seen, sparking outrage about how migrant workers continue to be transported with heavy equipment in the back of lorries in Singapore.
“These are men’s lives at stake. Not simply dollars and cents. It is time we do something about workers riding in the back of lorries with equipment and without sufficient safety measures,” wrote migrant worker charity ItsRainingRaincoats on its Instagram page.
According to the Manpower ministry, 442,900 work permit holders were in the construction, marine shipyard, and process sectors as of June.
As of last month, there have been four deaths and 407 injuries from lorry accidents this year. There was one death and 449 injuries in 2023, and six deaths and 351 injuries due to such accidents in 2022, according to official statistics.