Two buildings within the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Sin Ming have been cordoned off after parts of a rooftop and its supporting frame collapsed on Tuesday, November 26.
The monastery said the incident occurred around 8 pm at the Venerable Hong Choon Memorial Hall, located in the central area of the compound. No activities were taking place at the time, and the affected space was empty, a spokesperson told the media.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which received a call for assistance at about 8.25 pm, assessed one person for minor injuries. However, the individual declined to be taken to hospital. Firefighters, officers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, and SCDF search dogs were deployed as a precaution.
Photographs taken after the collapse show a gaping hole in the roof and debris scattered across the ground. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said that falling debris from the four-storey memorial hall also damaged windows of a neighbouring block. While the structural integrity of both buildings remains intact, public access has been restricted for safety reasons.
"BCA is serving an order to the building owner to appoint a professional engineer to investigate the cause of the collapse, advise on the necessary precautionary measures to obviate any immediate danger, and recommend permanent rectification works," the spokesperson told The Straits Times.
The monastery noted that the memorial hall was completed in 2003 and said it is cooperating fully with the authorities as investigations continue. All prayer activities remain ongoing, though movements in certain sections of the compound may be temporarily rerouted to ensure the safety of devotees, volunteers and staff.
This includes the Grand Prayer that Blesses and Benefits All Sentient Beings, which began on November 23 and will conclude on November 30. A prayer shrine that had been initially set up in the affected building has since been relocated, allowing rituals to proceed without interruption.
