"He had escaped a blaze at his workplace in the Jurong Industrial Estate four days ago, as he was out on a job.But Malaysian Tan Kian Eang, 45, was not so lucky early yesterday morning, as his bicycle was involved in a collision with an SBS Transit bus at the junction of Jalan Boon Lay and International Road.
Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived shortly after the accident at around midnight and pronounced Mr Tan dead at the scene. The Singaporean bus driver has been suspended pending police investigations.
This is the second fatality from a bus collision in less than two weeks. A 42-year-old woman died after she was hit by an SBS bus in Clementi on April 23.
According to evening daily Lianhe Wanbao, Mr Tan, who worked at Nam Hup, which supplies tents for outdoor events, was cycling back to his dormitory when the accident occurred.
He had planned to return to Malaysia over the weekend to vote.
He is survived by his wife and a seven-year-old daughter.
A colleague, Mr Friday Dayan, 30, said he had known Mr Tan for seven-and-a-half years. He said: "He was funny and like a brother to me. I'm very sad."
Nam Hup was slightly damaged in the fire on Tuesday, which destroyed three warehouses.
Ms Tammy Tan, senior vice-president of SBS Transit's corporate communications, said yesterday the company was "very sorry that this has happened" and its foremost priority would be to get in touch with Mr Tan's family to express its condolences and render what assistance it could.
She said SBS was also stepping up junction drill checks on its bus captains and would remind them of the need to always be alert.
Workers at the Jurong Industrial Estate told The Straits Times the junction is dangerous, with heavy vehicles tending to speed.
Security guard Ahmad Sata, 64, cycles to work from his home in Boon Lay. He said: "I'm very careful in this area because the heavy vehicles are very fast and sometimes don't give way."
Mr Gong Xiao Wei, 27, a mechanical engineer, added: "I was fined for cycling on the pavement before, but I don't dare to cycle on the roads. There are too many heavy vehicles here and my life is more important."
limyihan@sph.com.sg
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