Migrant worker allegedly struck in the neck by forklift, dies
On April 16, Bangladeshi worker Biswas Sanjay Kumar, 37, was about to lift a bag of scrap metal when one of the forks of a forklift apparently hit him in the neck.
The police told The Straits Times they received a call for assistance from the hospital at 10.40am that day – about 40 minutes after the incident.
The forklift operator at Beng Cheng Metal in Sungei Kadut did not call for an ambulance but used his own car to drive Mr Biswas to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, according to company director Alvin Lim.
Mr Biswas died from his injuries on April 22.
“He had been with the company for only one month, so it’s very unfortunate. We are still in shock,” Mr Lim told ST.
He added that Mr Biswas was shouting out instructions to the forklift operator, who suspected something was amiss when Mr Biswas went quiet. He found the Bangladeshi lying on the ground.
“The operator had a car and when he saw what happened, he panicked. He thought the best and fastest way was to take Biswas to hospital himself.”
Mr Biswas is survived by his mother, and wife and their 18-month-old daughter.
His cousin Ojha Tapas, 36, who also works in Singapore, said: “His wife and mother have been crying since they got the news. Everybody is in tears and feeling helpless.”
Mr Biswas’ body was repatriated to his village in Joydihi on April 26.
Mr Lim said Beng Cheng Metal is working out details of the compensation to Mr Biswas’ family and would try to provide financial assistance to them in the meantime.
According to the Ministry of Manpower, as a general safety measure, forklift operators must check and ensure that nobody is within close proximity of the machine when it is in use.
It instructed Beng Cheng Metal to stop all work on the premises.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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