Parts of a Concrete Roof Fell Off an Industrial Building in Bedok; Area Has Been Cordoned Off

Imagine walking along a building one day, and you see a huge block of concrete fall from the sky.

I’ve heard of global warming, but this is ridiculous!

This actually happened recently, but fortunately, hardly anyone was there at the time.

Parts of a Concrete Roof Fell Off an Industrial Building in Bedok

A 40m-long block of concrete fell from the top of a four-storey industrial building at 3013 Bedok Industrial Park E, after parts of decorative features on its concrete roof had broken off.

It’s believed that the freak accident took place sometime between 4am and 6am yesterday morning (22 Aug).

Interestingly, when the building owner, JTC Corporation, called in a professional engineer, the engineer concluded that the building’s structural integrity wasn’t affected.

But he will still recommend permanent rectification works and inspect three other buildings in the area with similar designs.

Investigations are ongoing, JTC said, adding that its officers are engaging with tenants.

No Injuries Reported; Area Has Been Cordoned Off

Pictures showed large, shattered pieces of concrete scattered all over the floor, along with some wooden blocks and what looks like a fallen tree.

The good news is that no injuries were reported.

As one tenant told The Straits Times, few people would have been in the area at the time, since most units there are closed on Sunday.

Scarily, some concrete pieces are still dangling from the roof of the four-storey building, which is why JTC has cordoned off the area.

Expired Fire Extinguisher Burst & Smashed Through a Window to Another Building at Beach Road

This freak accident calls to mind another incident that occurred earlier this month at Beach Road.

Believe it or not, a fire extinguisher had shot out of a window of the 23rd storey of a skyscraper.

It then plummeted at a high speed and rebounded off the ground before smashing through the glass panels of the opposite building, the Gateway East, which was 50m away.

Fortunately, no one was injured in this accident either. It turns out that the extinguisher had expired and burst before it smashed through the window.

Further investigations revealed that the projectile was actually a gas canister from a fire extinguisher system.

It had previously been dismantled for disposal, and is believed to have been exposed to high temperatures near a window.

A similar incident happened last year in the US, when a fire extinguisher exploded on the fourth floor of a building in New York. It ended up killing a construction worker.

If you’re thinking, wah I don’t want to die by fire extinguisher while working sia, what can I do?

Well, you can first move the fire extinguisher away from the window. Next, you can watch this video to learn more about the laws that protect you as a worker:

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Featured Image: Facebook (Thelocalsociety)