▁at ▁about ▁ 6 ▁p . m . ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁der rick ▁of ▁the ▁En iw et ok , ▁a ▁Pan aman ian - register ed ▁oil ▁rig , ▁passed ▁under ▁the ▁aer ial ▁ro pe way ▁and ▁struck ▁the ▁cable ▁that ▁stretch ed ▁over ▁the ▁water way ▁between ▁the ▁J ard ine ▁Ste ps ▁Station ▁and ▁the ▁Sent osa ▁Station . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁two ▁cab ins ▁pl ung ed ▁ ▁into ▁the ▁sea , ▁killing ▁seven ▁people . ▁The ▁oil ▁rig ▁was ▁being ▁to wed ▁away ▁from ▁Ke ppel ▁Wh arf ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁ent ang led ▁in ▁the ▁cable ▁and ▁caused ▁it ▁to ▁snap . ▁It ▁also ▁left ▁th ir teen ▁people ▁tra pped ▁in ▁four ▁other ▁cab ins ▁between ▁Mount ▁Fab er ▁and ▁Sent osa . ▁The ▁dis aster ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁involving ▁death ▁or ▁injury ▁since ▁the ▁cable ▁car ▁system ▁opened ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁Res cue ▁operations ▁The ▁Singapore ▁Police ▁Force , ▁the ▁Singapore ▁Fire ▁Service ▁( now ▁Singapore ▁Civil ▁Def ence ▁Force ) ▁and ▁all ▁three ▁services ▁of ▁the ▁Singapore ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁( S AF ) ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁all - night ▁rescue ▁operation . ▁It ▁was ▁head ed ▁by ▁Philip ▁Ye o , ▁then ▁Second ▁P erman ent ▁Secretary ▁( Def ence ). ▁The ▁overall ▁operation ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁Colonel ▁Lee ▁H s ien ▁Lo ong , ▁later ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Singapore . ▁ ▁There