A dramatic incident unfolded on Friday, June 28, when a suspected lightning strike hit the rooftop wall of a 17-story HDB block at Fajar Road, Bukit Panjang, causing debris to fall onto the cars parked below.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred between 4 pm and 5 pm, with residents reporting a loud thunderclap during a heavy downpour. The impact was so severe that it shattered the windscreen of one silver car, leaving a spider-web pattern of cracks. A stone was seen lodged on the windscreen, and a man, believed to be the car owner, was seen inspecting the damage, reported Shin Min Daily News.
When reporters visited the scene on Saturday morning, the affected vehicles had been removed, but a nearby lorry remained parked, with visible dents on its roof edge. The lorry owner confirmed that his vehicle was hit by falling debris on Friday.
The area where the incident occurred was cordoned off, with four parking lots still sealed off to the public. Scattered on the grass were two to three palm-sized stones, believed to be the remnants of the fallen debris.
Residents in the area reported hearing a loud bang during the storm, followed by the sound of falling stones. “We suddenly heard a loud noise, and then we heard the sound of stones falling. We suspected that it might be due to a lightning strike on the HDB block’s wall corner,” said a resident, Ms. Liu.
An inspection of the HDB block revealed a visible gap on the rooftop wall corner, leading to speculation that the stones might have fallen from that location. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of severe weather conditions and the importance of ensuring the structural integrity of buildings.
In a similar incident, a five-kilogram concrete block fell from a corridor on the fifth floor of a building, narrowly missing pedestrians. The incident highlights the need for regular maintenance and inspections to prevent such incidents from occurring.
Top image via Shin Min Daily News