SINGAPORE - The driver of the private bus involved in a fatal accident at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road on Dec 8 is a 55-year-old Singaporean who was conveyed conscious to hospital.
In a 3.45pm update, police said in a news release that on Dec 8 at 9.23pm, they received a call with a message "A bus has knocked down someone here, ambulance required."
Investigations revealed that at 9.23pm, a fatal traffic accident had happened between a private bus and a pedestrian at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road. Shortly after, a riot broke out involving a crowd of about 400 people where they damaged several vehicles including 16 police vehicles.
About 300 Police Officers, including those from the Special Operations Command and the Gurkha Contingent, responded to the scene.
The accident victim, a 33-year-old Indian national, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at scene. The driver of the private bus, a 55-year-old Singaporean, was conveyed conscious to the hospital.
As at 12pm today, 22 Police Officers and five Auxilliary Police Officers have sought treatment at the hospital. The officers sustained injuries and lacerations. All of them have since been discharged from the hospital.
Police have classified the traffic incident as Causing Death by Negligent Act, and the subsequent incident as Rioting with Dangerous Weapons. The driver is assisting Traffic Police with investigations into the traffic incident.
27 people, aged 23 to 45, have been arrested in connection with the rioting incident. Out of the 27 subjects, 24 are Indian nationals, two are Bangladeshi nationals and one is a Singaporean Permanent Resident.
The damaged vehicles have been removed from Race Course Road and Hampshire Road, and the affected roads were opened at 6.45am.
Police said they take this incident very seriously and will spare no effort to arrest those who are involved.
Members of the public are advised not to speculate on this incident. Members of the public with any information of the riot are advised to submit them via www.spf.gov.sg/iwitness and www.spf.gov.sg/CrimeStopper."
This is TRULY SHOCKING! The first industrial strike by the bus drivers a few months back paled in comparison to the severity and violence of this riot at Little India.
I can imagine what a terrifying experience it must be for any innocent bystanders, residents or tourists, who were caught in the middle of this madness.
All of a sudden and without any warning, a fatal accident, where the responsible people who might had contributed to it STILL had not been established, spiraled out of control into one of the MOST violent riots Singapore has seen a long long time ago. This by mainly foreign workers who were congregating at this place that they normally go to on their rest day. Many are peace loving and law abiding people for sure as it is NOT their intention to create havoc at a place they make their living.
WHAT could have triggered this madness? We are talking about around 400 mobs overturning NOT 1 police car BUT 3 police cars and BURNED one of them plus an ambulance! This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE in law abiding, obedient Singapore! This is UNPRECEDENTED for the many who were born after 1970s! Hopefully it DOES NOT create permanent fear about rioting in them.
Back to the MAIN QUESTION? What could have triggered this uncontrolled rage?
For me, these could be the reasons and need to be looked at:
1. is there a sense of 'unfair and unjust' treatment haboured by the foreign workers working in Singapore? Also, is it true or just imaginative?;
2. how many were drinking to the point of being 'out of control' at 9.23 p.m.? Is this the main factor that contributed to so many 'intoxicated' drunkards joining the riot?
The way forward, without finding the REAL REASON(s) for this grave incident, are:
1. round up and identify who are the 1st 10-20 rioters?;
2. engage the embassies of Indian, Bangladeshi and any other nations whose citizens were involved in the riots so that they are ALWAYS present at any police interaction with their citizens who are 'suspects'? This will PREVENT some overly emotional exploitation by local press in their respective country from painting and conveying INACCURATE accounts of what actually happened that night!
Regular public TV updates should be widely available to public.
3. quickly RELEASE the 'actual sequence of the accident' to the public and again make it freely available so that NO ONE can try to speculate what happened in the accident;
4. assured the rest of the foreign workers that if they are NOT involved, there is nothing to worry about. They can just go about working hard - the reason they are here. To work hard. Make money. Send money home and go home in one piece safely.
5. ANYONE who try to monger 'racial' or 'national' causes MUST be hauled in front of a TV publicly and questioned for their motives and evidence for making those assertions. This is NO time to 'play play' with relationship between the FWs and Singaporeans. Like many say: They are here to work and make a living and NOT make riots!
As for the LONGER TERM question like:
1. are our law enforcement and emergency response personnel 'READY' for such occurrence?;
2. are the demonstrated responses adequate? etc
It can come 30-day later. No longer than that.
Can we handle the situation when ALL FWs go on strike or act in unison? I think so. It simply means mobilizing the SAF. Period. I do not see that need for the longest time!
In a 3.45pm update, police said in a news release that on Dec 8 at 9.23pm, they received a call with a message "A bus has knocked down someone here, ambulance required."
Investigations revealed that at 9.23pm, a fatal traffic accident had happened between a private bus and a pedestrian at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road. Shortly after, a riot broke out involving a crowd of about 400 people where they damaged several vehicles including 16 police vehicles.
About 300 Police Officers, including those from the Special Operations Command and the Gurkha Contingent, responded to the scene.
The accident victim, a 33-year-old Indian national, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at scene. The driver of the private bus, a 55-year-old Singaporean, was conveyed conscious to the hospital.
As at 12pm today, 22 Police Officers and five Auxilliary Police Officers have sought treatment at the hospital. The officers sustained injuries and lacerations. All of them have since been discharged from the hospital.
Police have classified the traffic incident as Causing Death by Negligent Act, and the subsequent incident as Rioting with Dangerous Weapons. The driver is assisting Traffic Police with investigations into the traffic incident.
27 people, aged 23 to 45, have been arrested in connection with the rioting incident. Out of the 27 subjects, 24 are Indian nationals, two are Bangladeshi nationals and one is a Singaporean Permanent Resident.
The damaged vehicles have been removed from Race Course Road and Hampshire Road, and the affected roads were opened at 6.45am.
Police said they take this incident very seriously and will spare no effort to arrest those who are involved.
Members of the public are advised not to speculate on this incident. Members of the public with any information of the riot are advised to submit them via www.spf.gov.sg/iwitness and www.spf.gov.sg/CrimeStopper."
This is TRULY SHOCKING! The first industrial strike by the bus drivers a few months back paled in comparison to the severity and violence of this riot at Little India.
I can imagine what a terrifying experience it must be for any innocent bystanders, residents or tourists, who were caught in the middle of this madness.
All of a sudden and without any warning, a fatal accident, where the responsible people who might had contributed to it STILL had not been established, spiraled out of control into one of the MOST violent riots Singapore has seen a long long time ago. This by mainly foreign workers who were congregating at this place that they normally go to on their rest day. Many are peace loving and law abiding people for sure as it is NOT their intention to create havoc at a place they make their living.
WHAT could have triggered this madness? We are talking about around 400 mobs overturning NOT 1 police car BUT 3 police cars and BURNED one of them plus an ambulance! This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE in law abiding, obedient Singapore! This is UNPRECEDENTED for the many who were born after 1970s! Hopefully it DOES NOT create permanent fear about rioting in them.
Back to the MAIN QUESTION? What could have triggered this uncontrolled rage?
For me, these could be the reasons and need to be looked at:
1. is there a sense of 'unfair and unjust' treatment haboured by the foreign workers working in Singapore? Also, is it true or just imaginative?;
2. how many were drinking to the point of being 'out of control' at 9.23 p.m.? Is this the main factor that contributed to so many 'intoxicated' drunkards joining the riot?
The way forward, without finding the REAL REASON(s) for this grave incident, are:
1. round up and identify who are the 1st 10-20 rioters?;
2. engage the embassies of Indian, Bangladeshi and any other nations whose citizens were involved in the riots so that they are ALWAYS present at any police interaction with their citizens who are 'suspects'? This will PREVENT some overly emotional exploitation by local press in their respective country from painting and conveying INACCURATE accounts of what actually happened that night!
Regular public TV updates should be widely available to public.
3. quickly RELEASE the 'actual sequence of the accident' to the public and again make it freely available so that NO ONE can try to speculate what happened in the accident;
4. assured the rest of the foreign workers that if they are NOT involved, there is nothing to worry about. They can just go about working hard - the reason they are here. To work hard. Make money. Send money home and go home in one piece safely.
5. ANYONE who try to monger 'racial' or 'national' causes MUST be hauled in front of a TV publicly and questioned for their motives and evidence for making those assertions. This is NO time to 'play play' with relationship between the FWs and Singaporeans. Like many say: They are here to work and make a living and NOT make riots!
As for the LONGER TERM question like:
1. are our law enforcement and emergency response personnel 'READY' for such occurrence?;
2. are the demonstrated responses adequate? etc
It can come 30-day later. No longer than that.
Can we handle the situation when ALL FWs go on strike or act in unison? I think so. It simply means mobilizing the SAF. Period. I do not see that need for the longest time!
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