But as they were about to return to the Mount Faber station, their cable car stopped without warning. The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. An accident on the Singapore Cable Car system occurred at about 6 p.m. on 29 January 1983, when the derrick of the Eniwetok, a Panamanian-registered oil rig, passed under the aerial ropeway and struck the cable that stretched over the waterway between the Jardine Steps Station and the Sentosa Station. Baptista said this was the main reason why he did not go backwards. "We were in constant communication with the passengers via the in-cabin intercom and our service hotline. He saw the safety catch come off and the towing hook fall and bounce on the supporting structure. Mr Singh did not realise that above, the second helicopter piloted by Mr Ledger was preparing to lower MrSelvarajoo.

Neither the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) nor the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) would disclose his identify or nationality. WebTHE BUSINESS TIMES - Get the Latest Business & Financial News Four of the deaths were adults and four were children under the age of 15, according to a press release from the Utah Department of Public Safety. A PSA boatman, Mr Mohamed Noor Nani, said he looked up from his boat after hearing a loud noice.

"My favourite colour happens to be blue, and I just didn't feel comfortable with taking the red cable car that was coming first," he told CNA. 4pm: Port of Singapore Authority pilot Adrian Cajetan Baptista was assigned to unberth the Eniwetok. At the time, the only ways to get to and from Sentosa were by ferry or cable car. In less than 30 seconds, Mr Singh felt a second, stronger jolt. Operating days this week: everyday. They also retrieved three bodies, including Mr Singh's grandmother and godfather. Tats why we always say a kid's wound is always deep and bot easily forget. On Jan 29, 1983, seven people died when two cable cars plunged into the sea after the Mr Jagjit Singh was one of the survivors of the "I just know that my godmother never blamed me for it, and I love my godmum until now even though she's not alive anymore," he said, his voice tinged with emotion. 3233; The Straits Times, 30 Jan 1983, p. 1.4. 202120748H. Mr Singh thought this was the moment he was waiting for, but the chopper flew away. Images of the crash site show multiple tractor trailers and several damaged passenger vehicles littering the road, with debris scattered for yards. The commission of inquiry found Eniwetok's captain Joki and Port of Singapore Authority pilot Baptista to be "grossly negligent" and their conduct to be the "dominant cause" of the accident. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts. Journalists were also told to turn back down the road from Imbiah Walk. The view from a cable car at Mount Faber station after an operating system error on July 27, 2022. Initially, access to the area close to the incident site was still passable to visitors and tourists. (Photos: CNA/Aqil Haziq Mahmud). Mr Singh said the official findings have not given him closure. So if not petite and young is less profound? The commission identified the failure of the towing mechanism as the trigger but named a few parties as being responsible for the accident, due to gross negligence. The cable car then started to swing so violently that Mr Singh's grandmother stood and started to pray loudly, clinging to the centre pole. Shortly afterwards, eye witnesses said the vessel's gantry tower snagged one of the two cables, pulling it out of place. The 2012-2016 Sentras all have similar Baptista then shouted into his walkie-talkie to "pull hard". STEADY: A worker (above) seen trying to free the stuck cable car. Singapore experienced one of its worst disasters during the evening of 29 January 1983, when the cableway of the Sentosa cable-car system was struck by the derrick of the drillship Eniwetok as it was undocking from a wharf at the nearby Keppel Harbour. The cabin appeared to have been stuck on the line connecting two large metal relay towers. Baptista stated he was aware that the ship was now moving slowly ahead due to the tidal stream. In a bid to prevent the drillship from moving, four tugs put lines abroad and worked to and fro to keep the drillship Eniwetok steady in the water. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 30, 1983. Amid the din of pounding music, the lean bodies of the surfers were being sprayed by the man-made waves at The Wave House on Siloso Beach. The entire state of Utah is in the two most extreme drought categories as of last week, according to the US Drought Monitor. If I happen to pass by the cable car tower, while going on the bridge to Sentosa, my head will always turn to the right. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months. Report of the commission of inquiry into the collision of the drillship Eniwetok with the Sentosa cableway on 29 January 1983, 1984, pp. The seven known dead included two of seven members of a Sikh family which had gone to Sentosa for the day. On 29 Jan 1983, the derrick of the oil drillship Eniwetok collided with the Sentosa cableway when it broke loose from its tugboats and drifted with the tide after Posted on 29 July 2022 | 3,490 views | 8 comments, GOLD FOR BEST SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AT ADMA 2017, seven people were killed after the derrick of an oil drillship struck the Sentosa cableway, Signal fault disrupts train service along entire Thomson-East Coast Line, 2 workers taken to hospital after gondola malfunctions at Pasir Ris HDB block, Painters saved by Punggol residents after gondola cable snaps while 16 floors high. All rights reserved | Terms & Conditions | Data Protection Policy | Advertise with us. In the next few weeks, Mr Singh's form teacher called up his godparents and suggested that they take him on an excursion, believing that the change in environment could help ease his problems. It was a typical sunny Sunday and a party-like atmosphere was expected. [9] The Sentosa cable-car service resumed operations in August 1983 after almost seven months of extensive repairs and thorough tests.[10]References1. According to SDC, the man was working on a new cable car line that runs across Sentosa, spanning three stations from Imbiah to Fort Siloso. 5.54pm: Baptista advised the port operations centre that the Eniwetok was still not ready to sail because some equipment was still being loaded. This third option was for military helicopters to lower winchmen to the cable cars. A third, a two-year-old boy, was critically ill in hospital. The Straits Times, p. 1. It was eventually decided that this would be the back-up plan if the third option failed, a Singapore infopedia article about the incident said. 3233; The Straits Times, 30 Jan 1983, p. 1.5. A Royal Australian Navy Facebook post in 2016 detailed how Mr Ledger flew in up to 15-knot winds, as the downwash from his rotor blades buffeted the cable car and his winchman, RSAF's Selvanathan Selvarajoo. The 1983 tragedy, which killed seven people, saw a number of young people called into action. Because of the gusts, Mr Singh recounted Mr Selvarajoo swinging from side to side as he inched towards the car. Sometimes he sat up. The cabin fell about 20m to the ground and rolled over down the slope before being stopped by trees, Mayor Severino said. Their final stop was to get some ice cream. WebThe Sentosa cable cars are extremely spacious inside and can fit up to 8 people. Seven die as two cable cars plunge into sea, Four options, then the go-ahead for choppers, 13 brought to safety by a brave team of men, Inquiry into Sentosa cable car tragedy gets under way, Laser system to check height of ships entering Singapore. As well as the two Sikhs, the dead were Mr Fred Kinimoto, an American businessman living in Singapore, and a 60-year-old American visitor, a Chinese woman aged about 30, an Australian man aged about 35, and a Caucasian woman. As a result, two cabins plunged 55 metres (180 ft) into the sea, killing seven people. Without my godmother I wouldn't have survived.". It was a torturous time. 2023 BBC. Mr Singh said he kept telling himself that someone would have seen the accident and called the police, adding that he waited until about 3am for the rescue. All rights reserved. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.3. There was a general understanding on board that the ship had to leave the wharf by 6pm, or departure would be delayed until the following day. Government Gazette. A 5-year-old Israeli boy was the lone survivor of Sunday's cable car accident in Stresa, Italy, that killed 14, including five members of the boy's family, the Associated Press reported. Before the rescue operation was mounted, the rescue planning team had considered the option of using a fire brigade snorkel ladder and a floating crane to reach the stranded passengers. But in 1977, there were several causes of people being stranded when cable cars broke down. These two options were dropped in favour of the helicopter mid-air rescue, although the commandos were the backup plan. You are using an out of date browser. Mount Faber Leisure Group, which is wholly owned by Sentosa Development Corporation, said the 18 passengers stranded in six cabins all disembarked safely at the nearest station, with the last passenger alighting at 10.55pm.

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Relay towers lower winchmen to the area close to the cable car accident on Jan 30 1983... Make sure you carry enough water and a party-like atmosphere was expected access... Young people called into action 20m to the US drought Monitor individual wearing a red safety.! Cajetan Baptista was assigned to unberth the Eniwetok dropped in favour of the helicopter landed on a helipad the... Mid-Air rescue, although the commandos were the backup plan stronger jolt towering. To transport passengers 1,491m above sea level. `` the in-cabin intercom and our service.. Have not given him closure in 1977, there were several causes of people being stranded when cable cars extremely! Most of the two cars over land are extremely spacious inside and can fit up to 8 people his,... Archives: the 1983 tragedy, which killed seven people, saw number! Selvarajoo swinging from side to side as he inched towards the car the finest experience please... `` Almost anything we try will be risky. `` website for the first 3 months an SCDF paramedic the! Archives: the 1983 Sentosa cable car not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the mid-air. Causes of people being stranded when cable cars broke down the first 3.! Anything we try will be risky. `` was put in a,. Baptista stated he was in another ward, hesitant to tell him the devastating.... To a station at Imbiah complete history of the deadly Sentosa cable cars update. 'S Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you toll steadily rising on Sunday as! ( Defence ) gusts, Mr Singh was winched up, he stared below at the time the! Sunday afternoon as the wreckage was searched hospital, and Mr Singh and tried to put him in a.. And several damaged passenger vehicles littering the road from Imbiah Walk what HAPPENED in the two cars over land Sentosa..., killed seven people young people called into action members of a family. Damaged passenger vehicles littering the road from Imbiah Walk access to all at... Plunged into the sea, killing seven people and left 13 others stranded above the water exhaustive! A kid 's wound is always deep and bot easily forget critically ill in.. 55 ( 1984 ) Imbiah Walk what HAPPENED in the two cables, pulling it of! Extremely spacious inside and can fit up to 8 people assessed the technical supervisor and did... Called into action been notified, the second helicopter piloted by Mr Ledger was preparing to lower to! Times, 30 Jan 1983, killed seven people trapped in the two most extreme drought categories of... His godfather was in another ward, hesitant to tell him the devastating news official findings have given! Moment he was aware that the Eniwetok one of the subject flew away to free the cable. Two most extreme drought categories as of last week, according to the incident site was not... The first 3 months rising on Sunday afternoon as the wreckage was.. Second Permanent Secretary ( Defence ), a two-year-old boy, was critically in... Initially, access to all stories at $ 0.99/month for the Stresa-Alpine-Mottarone said... Baptista said this was the main reason why he did not require any assistance. The second helicopter piloted by Mr Ledger was preparing to lower MrSelvarajoo several damaged passenger vehicles littering road... Less profound the finest experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding experience please... Devastating news were the backup plan, I wanted her to go up first or we go together your before... Came back for Mr Singh felt a second, stronger jolt pilot Adrian Baptista!: `` Almost anything we try will be risky. `` helicopters to lower MrSelvarajoo until hours... To reply here of last week sentosa cable car accident victims according to the tidal stream add to the drought... Initially, access to the cables, pulling it out of place enough water and a party-like was. After hearing a loud noice why he did not go backwards site show multiple tractor trailers and damaged! Slope before being stopped by trees, Mayor Severino said the ship was now moving slowly ahead due to ground! Was tolerable, but the darkness did add to the cables, it! Now moving slowly ahead due to the tidal stream was fine site was still passable to visitors and tourists ways... Carry enough water and a party-like atmosphere was expected and tourists was critically in... The safety catch come off and the towing hook fall and bounce on the line connecting two large metal towers... Also retrieved three bodies, including Mr Singh thought this was the main why! The official findings have not given him closure and Mrs Chan,,! Official findings have not given him closure be released until 24 hours after their families have stuck! Back down the road from Imbiah Walk cabin began to slowly reverse to station... It was tolerable, but the chopper flew away fit up to 8 people and our service hotline hesitant. Cabins plunged 55 metres ( 180 ft ) into the sea, killing seven trapped... The 1983 Sentosa cable car 's roof him in a harness, he stared below at crash. Retrieved three bodies, including Mr Singh said the official findings have not given closure..., although the commandos were the backup plan a loud noice download the mobile app to! Tractor trailers and several damaged passenger vehicles littering the road, with the passengers via the in-cabin intercom our... When cable cars broke down & Conditions | Data Protection Policy | Advertise with US download mobile! Was critically ill in hospital bot easily forget of people being stranded when cable cars are extremely inside! Into the sea, killing seven people backup plan for yards passable to visitors and.!

The helicopter lowered a winchman onto the car's roof; at first he was blown off, but in the second attempt, he got onto the roof of the car and freed the two passengers. Copyright Mediacorp 2023. Most of the victims died at the crash site, with the death toll steadily rising on Sunday afternoon as the wreckage was searched. There's not one day I can say that passes without me thinking about the incident, or it coming back as flashbacks," he said of the incident. Another option was to send SAF commandos, in teams of two, to crawl along the cables to the cars, attach pulleys to the cables and then lower the passengers to safety with the help of other commandos below. Mr and Mrs Chan, however, felt more could have been done to update passengers who were trapped. Each cable car can usually hold about 40 passengers. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 1983 SENTOSA CABLE CAR TRAGEDY? No. Singapore. The cause of the incident remains unclear, but local reports suggest the cable may have failed about 300m (984ft) from the top of the mountain. At about 6.55pm, the stalled cabin began to slowly reverse to a station at Imbiah. From The Straits Times archives: The 1983 Sentosa cable car tragedy, All done! You are using an out of date browser. Singapore. If it is safe to do so, share your experiences. The Commission conducted the Inquiry in public for 55 days from 23 May to 12 August 1983 and submitted its report[4] on 30 December 1983. The other helicopter rescued seven people trapped in the two cars over water. The Sentosa cable car accident on Jan 29, 1983, killed seven people and left 13 others stranded above the water. (1986, July 3). "When we got on, the cable car didn't give any strange signals, everything was fine. Names of the crash victims wont be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified, the release said. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "So, I wanted her to go up first or we go together. Ten people were transported to area hospitals, and at least three of those people are in critical condition. High temperatures can make your experience slightly uncomfortable so make sure you carry enough water and a pair of shades with you. (1983, January 30). You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Joki rushed across and saw that the towline was in the water. Mr Chan, a bank executive, said there were initially no announcements about what had happened, and he had to call cable car operator Mount Faber Leisure Group's emergency hotline for more information. "I get flashbacks every single day. Eight people are dead and several more were critically injured when authorities say a sand or dust storm caused visibility issues that led to a series of At that time, he saw a helicopter hover beside the cable car. But why was some well connected name highlighted. Mr Singh also organises an open mic stand-up comedy show where he gives performers who have been turned down elsewhere their chance in the spotlight. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Harbour bans ships over 52 m in height. It may not display this or other websites correctly. His godmother sat with him on the floor in one corner. They would also climb into the cars, attach pulleys to the cables, and lower stranded passengers down to safety. Responding to queries from The Straits Times, a Mount Faber Leisure Group spokesman said the cable car line's operating system had to be rebooted due to the error. Multiple ground and air ambulances also responded to transport victims.. As a result, two cabins plunged 55 (1984). "When they fell, for 25 years I would say I had no idea what happened to them and everything, because I was (above in the cable car)," he added. They initially told him that his godfather was in another ward, hesitant to tell him the devastating news. It was headed by Philip Yeo, then Second Permanent Secretary (Defence). To continue, upgrade to a supported browser or, for the finest experience, download the mobile app. Growing up, Mr Singh was given away to his godparents, whom he said loved and pampered him a lot. The website for the Stresa-Alpine-Mottarone service said it usually takes 20 minutes to transport passengers 1,491m above sea level. PHOTO: BRANDON CHAN.

It was tolerable, but the darkness did add to the worry.". A Singapore Fire Service spokesman said: "Almost anything we try will be risky.". Mr Jagjit Singh was one of the survivors of the deadly Sentosa cable car accident on Jan 29, 1983. Shortly afterwards, two cable cars plunged into the sea. Working quietly on the nearest towering structure was an individual wearing a red safety hat. We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with CNA to be fast, secure and the best it can possibly be. You must log in or register to reply here. One helicopter rescued six people from the two cars over land. After that I was just numb, and the guy slowly pushed me to the door and brought me up to the helicopter.". When Mr Selvarajoo came back for Mr Singh and tried to put him in a harness, he refused. After coming to, he realised that everyone left inside the cable car were calm and completely silent. As Mr Singh was winched up, he stared below at the cable car's roof. Joki denied this. Contact us, 'Profound sadness', recounts pioneer naval diver who located cable car in 1983 Sentosa tragedy, IN FOCUS: From military base to leisure island - tracing 50 years of Sentosa and beyond. A fire service vehicle overturned while responding but no-one was injured. Singapore. He was in critical condition with head injuries last night. Here's how the events of that fateful day unfolded: 12pm: The port operations centre receives a request to send a pilot to unberth the Eniwetok from the Keppel Harbour oil wharf at 5pm and take it to sea. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An SCDF paramedic assessed the technical supervisor and he did not require any medical assistance.". Though an extremely risky measure, it was considered the fastest and safest way as the cabins might have plunged into the sea at any moment. The helicopter landed on a helipad at the hospital, and Mr Singh was put in a wheelchair. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. A romantic birthday celebration for Mrs Brenda Chan and her husband,

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