Second case of unnatural death involving a foreign worker in 3 weeks

A 27-year-old foreign worker from Bangladesh was found motionless at 31 Kranji Crescent last week, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

A police spokesman told The New Paper they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at 6.40pm last Friday and found the man motionless at the said location.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play and investigations are ongoing.

This is the second case of unnatural death involving a foreign worker in three weeks.

On April 23, 46-year-old Indian national Alagu Periyakarrupan, a Covid-19 patient, was found motionless at a staircase landing in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The Ministry of Health had said his death was likely due to injuries sustained from a fall from height and not complications from Covid-19 infection.

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A Ministry of Manpower spokesman told TNP yesterday that the 27-year-old worker's family, employer and the Bangladesh High Commission had been informed of his death. The ministry is working with the employer and the Migrant Workers' Centre to provide assistance to his family.

The Bangladesh High Commission said it has been in touch with his family and will make arrangements to fly the body back.

TNP understands the worker was employed by landscaping company, Kiat Lee Landscape & Building, which runs a factory-converted dormitory at 31 Kranji Crescent.

It is not known if the deceased was confined to a dorm as the company did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.

PAY MORE ATTENTION

There have been calls from advocacy groups here for more attention to be paid to the mental health of foreign workers during the current circuit breaker.

The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) said in its May Day statement that the enhanced isolation of foreign workers during this period has left many of them feeling depressed and anxious.

Home recommended making counselling and psychological services more readily available to foreign workers.

A trained counsellor, who wanted to be known only as Ms Pia, said the foreign workers she has counselled over the phone are mostly anxious about their livelihoods and their families back home.

Ms Pia, who volunteers with several advocacy groups here, said: "If they make a phone call to a counsellor to have a conversation about their mental well-being, that would be a good step because many of them are keeping to themselves."

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said last month that his ministry is aware of the stress levels of these isolated workers and their concerns.

His ministry has assigned people to meet and counsel them, as well as provided hotlines for them to call, should they need any assistance.

"We also have ambassadors that will engage and reach out to them to have a better understanding of their mental concerns," he added.