SCDF Rescues Two Workers After Gondola Cable Snaps at Raffles City Tower

 

Headline: SCDF Rescues Two Workers After Gondola Cable Snaps at Raffles City Tower

By: Thedaily71| Date: 21 July 2025

Two window-cleaning workers were dramatically rescued from a dangling gondola after a steel cable snapped on the façade of Raffles City Tower yesterday morning.

At roughly 11:20 am, the Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to a height-rescue emergency. SCDF firefighters and the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) arrived within minutes. The gondola, still suspended and tilting between the 28th and 29th storeys, held two men in a perilous position.

One of the workers was seen dangling precariously after losing his footing due to the snapped cable. SCDF teams secured the gondola, deployed safety lines, and dispatched a rescuer who clipped safety harnesses onto both men. They were carefully hoisted into the building through windows on the 29th and 30th floors.

Paramedics assessed the workers at the scene before transporting them to Raffles Hospital in stable condition. As of 1:32 pm, operations were still active, with all rescue personnel and equipment on-site.

No further injuries have been reported. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been notified, and an investigation into safety protocols for high-rise maintenance work is expected.

🔍 Looking Ahead

Expect a formal inspection and possible revision of winter gondola and cable maintenance procedures, including stricter checks and real-time monitoring.

Raffles City Tower’s management and cleaning contractors are likely to face inquiry from MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council regarding pre-emptive cable replacement and operator training.