'Not the first time': Temporary roof at Kampung Admiralty gives way due to heavy rain

Parts of the temporary roof at the community plaza in Kampung Admiralty gave way due to the heavy rain on Sunday (Aug 4) afternoon, forcing the cancellation of an event held there.

A video shared on Facebook group Complaint Singapore showed several participants of the SkillsFuture Festival @ North West scrambling for cover as rainwater poured down on them.

Speaking to 8World, a company representative who was at the event, said that their flyers were all soaked from the downpour that happened at about 1.45pm.

The woman added that her colleague had moved the television at their stall away after noticing that the blue tarp covering the roof wouldn't hold the weight of the rainwater.

She also questioned the use of the blue tarp as a long-time solution to cover the hole in the roof, fearing that a similar incident might occur again.

A representative from another company said some of their electronic equipment was damaged by the rain and would need to be repaired.

He added that the event, which was supposed to end at 5pm, ended earlier due to the unexpected incident.

Safety concerns

A 70-year-old retiree, who was at the community plaza, told 8World that it was 'not the first time' that the temporary roof there had given way.

He said that a retractable white tarp was used to cover the hole in the roof a few years ago.

But he noticed last Sunday that it had since been replaced by a blue tarp. 

The man said that the white tarp used previously was more sturdy, and wondered whether the blue tarp was used instead due to the ongoing repair works.

"There are children running around and people riding bicycles. It can be very dangerous because the ground can be very wet and people might accidentally slip," he said.

Another passer-by surnamed Lim said he was surprised to see rainwater at the community plaza.

Several workers had put the tarp back on the roof after the incident, he said, noting that was still dripping due to the rain.

HDB investigating incident: MP Alex Yam

Member of Parliament Alex Yam said on Facebook that the affected area at the community plaza was already cordoned off before the incident happened, and no one was injured.

The Housing and Development Board is investigating the incident, he added.

"We would like to inform all residents who may be heading down to our North West CDC event that all activities have been cancelled," Yam said.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused."

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chingshijie@asiaone.com