SINGAPORE - A patch of plaster fell from the ceiling at a Housing Board (HDB) block in Tampines at around 1.30pm on Sunday (May 21).

A contributor to Stomp said he was at home in his second-floor unit at Block 933, Tampines St 91, when he heard the loud bang of the falling plaster, which hit the floor along a first-floor corridor.

Images on the citizen journalism portal showed pieces of plaster and debris strewn across the floor.

A Tampines Town Council spokesman told The Straits Times that only non-structural, surface-level plaster fell off at a "specific and very localised" location.

A team was despatched to repair the ceiling on Monday (May 22) morning and repair works are underway.

The spokesman declined to give a specific time for the completion of works, but said that the works involved included putting in a new bonding agent and replastering the ceiling.

The spokesman added that the incident was caused by spalling.

According to the Housing Board website, spalling is caused by carbonation, a natural deterioration process that corrodes steel reinforcement bars embedded in a ceiling slab.

This causes the ceiling surface to crack and bulge.

Preventive measures currently in place at Tampines Town Council include teaching town council staff to look out for tell-tale signs of impending spalling.

This includes rust marks, cracks and slight bulging.

The spokesman also added that residents could help by looking out for such signs and informing their town council.