Woman, 73, dies after accident with SMRT bus in Chinatown

SINGAPORE – A 73-year-old woman died after she was hit by an SMRT bus in Chinatown on Nov 2.

The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to an accident involving a pedestrian and a bus in South Bridge Road towards Tanjong Pagar at around 11.40am.

The woman was unconscious when taken to the Singapore General Hospital, where she later died, they added.

A 41-year-old male bus driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations.

Two videos of the accident posted on TikTok on Nov 2 show an SMRT bus with a cracked windscreen and damaged bumper stopped along the road.

An SCDF paramedic can be seen performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a person.

In response to queries, SMRT Buses deputy managing director Vincent Gay said the bus was travelling along South Bridge Road when it hit a pedestrian who was crossing between vehicles.

“We are deeply saddened by the pedestrian’s death and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family. Our care team has contacted the next of kin to offer assistance and support during this difficult time,” he said.

According to Gay, no other injuries were reported at the time of the accident.

He said that all passengers were safely transferred to another bus to continue their journey.

SMRT is cooperating with the police in its investigation, he added.

The number of fatalities from traffic accidents fell from 79 in the first half of 2025 to 61 in the first half of 2026, and the number of fatal accidents dropped from 78 to 60, said the Traffic Police in their mid-year road traffic statistics released on Aug 28.

However, accidents involving elderly pedestrians increased from 121 in the first six months of 2025 to 144 cases in 2026.

The number of injured elderly pedestrians went up from 106 to 132 in the same period.