Chemical tank falls into sea off Tuas Second Link after lorries collide, NEA warns against water activities

Chemical tank containing propylene glycol falls into water off Tuas Second Link

A collision between two lorries at the Tuas Second Link resulted in a chemical tank on one of them falling into the sea.

Footage of the accident posted on TikTok showed the tank detaching from the lorry cabin and toppling into the Straits of Johor.

Chemical tank topples off Second Link bridge after its lorry swipes another lorry

According to the clip, the red lorry was behind the white lorry on the far-left lane, but somehow managed to overtake and swipe the white lorry as it was doing so.

As it cut in front of the white lorry, the red lorry started swaying unsteadily.

The tank that it was carrying then suddenly toppled off the bridge, hitting a lamppost on the way.

As the tank fell, it became dislodged from the lorry cabin, so the cabin did not fall together with it.

Lorry damaged, motorcyclists purportedly also injured

A video taken after the accident showed that a portion of the railing had been wiped out by the crash, with debris lying on the road.

The cabin of the red lorry was also badly damaged, with its windscreen smashed in.

The user who posted the clip said the accident took place at about 5.30pm on Thursday (24 July), and the two lorries involved were heading towards Johor Bahru (JB).

Two or three motorcyclists were also injured, he said, with his video depicting a man sitting on the road shoulder.

Photos from other social media sources revealed at least one motorcycle lying on its side on the road.

As for the chemical tank that fell over the bridge, some people were seen looking for it in the water.

However, no trace of it could be seen in any of the posts about the accident.

Accident causes heavy traffic on Second Link

In a Facebook post at 6.17pm on Thursday, Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the accident had caused “very heavy departure traffic” at Tuas Checkpoint, with the tailback stretching to the checkpoint.

Motorists were advised to avoid the Second Link.

The accident had been cleared by 8.48pm — more than 2.5 hours later, ICA updated in a second post.

No leaks in waters off Second Link from chemical tank: M’sian authorities

Despite the apparent seriousness of the accident, the Malaysian authorities have said that no contamination in the water had been detected.

Iskandar Puteri Fire and Rescue station chief Mohd Faiz Suleiman was quoted by The Star as saying that the tanker that fell contained propylene glycol, a colourless liquid used in processed products, including food.

A Hazardous Materials Unit that inspected the scene found no foams or oils on the sea surface, which indicated that the tanker had not leaked, he added.

The tanker on the other lorry, which contained sodium hypochlorite, also did not spring a leak, he stated.

The driver of the red lorry, which carried the propylene glycol, was taken to the Gelang Patah Health Clinic. The driver of the other lorry was not injured.

Avoid water activities near Tuas Second Link: NEA

However, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) issued an advisory to members of the public in a Facebook post on Thursday night.

It said they should not take part in primary water contact activities and recreational fishing in the waters around the Tuas Second Link.

This includes the areas around Raffles Marina, which is next to the Tuas Checkpoint.

Meanwhile, NEA is actively monitoring water quality in the affected area and is in close communication with its Malaysian counterparts.

Propylene glycol is not classified as a hazardous substance, NEA said. The biodegradable chemical is commonly used in food, pharmaceuticas and cosmetics,

However, as it may cause low dissolved oxygen levels in the Lim Chu Kang fish farming zone, the Singapore Food Agency has alerted fish farms in the area to be vigilant, prepare mitigation measures and notify the authorities about abnormal fish and water conditions.

Singapore’s desalination plants are not affected so far, with National Water Agency PUB “closely monitoring” seawater intake.

S’pore & M’sian agencies conducted emergency drill at Second Link the day before

The incident comes just a day after the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and multiple agencies from Singapore and Malaysia took part in a large-scale emergency response exercise at the Tuas Second Link.

The drill on Wednesday (23 July) simulated hazardous chemical releases following a multi-vehicle accident.

The exercise, which took place from 5am to 2pm, all three lanes on the Singapore to Malaysia-bound carriageway were closed to vehicular traffic.

Also read: Motorcyclist dies after colliding with BMW on Second Link, was run over by another motorcycle

Motorcyclist dies after colliding with BMW on Second Link, was run over by another motorcycle

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Featured image adapted from @fyewu0 on TikTok.