A police officer on duty points to the ragged oval hole in the floor where the building caved in on the three diggers. Some nights 30 or 40 diggers would work at the dealership, says an employee of the showroom. A manager at a showroom next door said diggers boldly work on his property in office hours. His showroom closed that month. The building was flattened, the tantalum dug up, and now a new showroom is rising on the spot.
Offices are in a temporary trailer in the parking lot.
The bill is being paid by the landowner, Singapore's Straits Trading Company. But there is plenty more. Ridhuan says you could dig in the area, known as Taman Selat, for a year and still not exhaust the tantalum supply.