Industrial explosion startles NUS
(via Tomorrow)
By Nicole Seah
Sep. 9 2008
Students from the National University of Singapore were momentarily jolted by the sound of a loud explosion that came from an industrial area near campus at 2.23 p.m. today.
Senior Staff Sergeant Wong Kah Yip from the Clementi neighbourhood police centre said that the sound was caused by an accident that happened at the Pandan Industrial area.
Wong added that the police are still investigating the cause of the accident. He was unable to comment on the number of casualties involved or the magnitude of the accident.
The explosion could be heard from as far as the Faculty of Engineering, but it was at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences where the impact was most felt.
People who were in Central Library heard the sound which was immediately followed by a tremor that lasted a split second.
Glass panels at Central Library also reportedly shook from the impact of the explosion.
A management assistant at the library who wanted to be known as Selvi said, “The whole building... I could feel it. Everyone stood still.”
“It was only for a moment but it’s very very scary,” she added.
Rahimah, an assistant librarian, said she saw the glass panel shaking and thought for a brief moment that someone was knocking on the glass panel from behind.
Linda Perry, a communications and new media professor from NUS, said she witnessed the explosion from her apartment.
“There was a large ball of smoke, almost mushroom shaped, right after the explosion. Also rattled my windows.
“The smoke dissipated quickly, whatever it was,” she said.
No injuries have been reported on campus as a result of the incident.
Basker, a campus security officer, said, “So far all the sections are clear on campus.”
He added, “We’ve checked the whole area and confirmed this.”
In other news, we are still alive! Now, for the Higgs boson!
Signing off............. Stand accused, in the First Degree............
RC
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