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Nobody expected it. In a matter of minutes, a six-storey hotel was reduced to a pile of rubble.
Singapore has seen much success during its nation-building years, but unfortunately, there were a few major disasters that captured the nation's attention.
The Hotel New World collapse is one such disaster, claiming the lives of 23 Singaporeans and 10 foreigners, and prompting an eye-witness to exclaim that "it was like a horror film".
Another dramatic accident happened in mid-air.
In 1983, seven people died when two Sentosa cable cars plunged 55 m into the sea after the derrick of an oil drilling vessel struck the cableway.
Fourteen people were rescued -- a
two-year-old boy from the sea and the others from the suspended cable cars.
Click here to read the story.
It was a Black Thursday on Oct 12, 1978. Seventy-six people died in an explosion on board the Greek-owned tanker Spyros, while 69 were injured.
LIFELINES
Tragedy also struck within the ranks of the Singapore Government.
Both President Ong Teng Cheong (then Deputy PM) and DPM Lee Hsien Loong were diagnosed with having cancer.
Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings.
All Rights Reserved.
Singapore dream
Disasters
take away
precious lives...
LESLIE:
Cyber time traveller
...but they
also bring a
nation closer
together.
It was a
traumatic
experience
for those
trapped under
the debris
for days.
I never thought I was going to
die
Kudos to the
brave firefighters
and rescuers in
the Spyros
disaster -- one
of the worst
in Singapore's
post-war history.
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