Dangling crane causes jams

[makapaaa]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>April 23, 2009
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Dangling crane causes jams <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jalelah Abu Baker
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Police received a call on Wednesday night at about 11.20pm about a crane dangling at the Ardmore Park site, near the Shangri-La Hotel. -- ST PHOTO: JALELAH ABU BAKER
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->ROADS around Ardmore Park area were closed to morning rush-hour traffic and the Pan-Island Expressway was jammed for hours on Thursday after parts of a large crane atop a building in a nearby condominium site threatened to fall onto the road.
Police received a call on Wednesday night at about 11.20pm about a crane dangling at the Ardmore Park site, near the Shangri-La Hotel.
The crane had broken into two parts, with part of it dangling from the top of an uncompleted 36-storey building.
'A lifting kit which was connected to the crane was found along the road,' said police
No one was injured in the incident. The Ministry of Manpower has also been informed of the incident and is investigating. Roads around and into the building site have been cordoned off. Workers who turned up for work at the site were told to go home.

 

[makapaaa]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>April 23, 2009
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Freak storm wreaks havoc <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Felicia Wong and Derrick Ho
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Wind uprooted trees at Blk 31 Dover Road. -- PHOTO: STOMP
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->A FREAKISH storm with strong winds uprooted trees, damaged cars and left a trail of destruction on Wednesday night, all within about 15 minutes.
There were numerous reports of fallen trees island-wide, with at least one car damaged by the falling branches in an open carpark. At a housing estate in Dover Road, a large tree almost snapped in half and lay fallen on its side, with other branches strewn across the grassy area.
Eyewitnesses also reported that large plastic barricades used in roadworks were blown across a road by the strong winds, causing traffic obstruction.
Weather maps from the National Environmental Agency (NEA)'s website showed that a rain storm blew over Singapore shortly after 11pm on Wednesday.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were also abuzz with postings about the freak storm. Bloggers in Singapore also recounted personal stories, with many saying they were awoken by the violent rattling and slamming of doors caused by the winds. Others reported car alarms going off.
'We had to duck from the many things that were blowing out of control. There was a road block signage that blew across a major road. heavy duty dustbins dropped like bowling pins. We had to take refuge on the outside of a building' wrote mistipurple on her blog.
'I don't know how widely the winds could have travelled, but tonight for about five minutes, I experienced one of the strongest winds since returning to Singapore,' wrote blogger mis-erialc.
'In fact, I don't remember a time that we've ever experienced winds so strong. As the wind repeatedly assaulted my blinds, I couldn't help but look outside at the environmental commotion it was causing - the bending of trees, the picking up and tossing around of random objects outside.' Share more stories about the storm and send photos to [email protected]