Part of false ceiling at NTU building collapses
No injuries reported; similar structures in other areas of campus being checked: NTU
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Part of a false ceiling on the fourth storey of a building at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) collapsed on Monday night, with chunks of debris falling onto a walkway used by students.
When contacted yesterday by The Straits Times, a spokesman for the university said no injuries were reported and the building remains structurally sound. ST had received photographs of the incident area from a student.
The student said the collapse happened at around 7.40pm.
The spokesman said the defect on the false ceiling had been detected during a routine inspection a few days prior to the incident.
"The area beneath it was immediately cordoned off, while arrangements were being made to check the ceiling with the required manpower and equipment to reach the height, and to remove the false ceiling, if necessary.
"However, the false ceiling gave way before the investigation could take place."
The student, who e-mailed the pictures to ST, said that although a walkway in the Basement 3 carpark had been cordoned off before the Monday incident, another walkway in Basement 1 had not been initially.
The Basement 1 walkway is widely used for access to other buildings and seminar rooms.
The student, who declined to be named, said the cordon in Basement 3 may not be adequate, as debris had scattered beyond the area.
Voicing concern over the hazard posed by the remaining parts of the false ceiling, she said: "NTU has been very fortunate but... its luck may run out and a student or member of the public may get injured."
A 23-year-old communications studies student, who declined to be named, said that although the incident was worrying, she trusts that the university will step up safety checks.
"Now that this has happened, I'm sure maintenance works will be done to similar ceilings in the other buildings around campus so that nobody gets hurt," she said.
The NTU spokesman said the area where Monday's incident happened remains cordoned off and repairs are under way.
"To ensure safety across all our buildings, similar false ceilings in other parts of the campus are being checked."