SINGAPORE: A man who set off a box containing 25 shots of fireworks near a block of flats in Yishun last month was handed a S$5,000 (US$3,700) fine on Tuesday (May 28). Noor Azhar Abdul Abas, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of discharging dangerous fireworks.     The incident took place at a grass patch near Block 644 Yishun Street 61 on April 9, the eve of Hari Raya Puasa, at about 10.40pm. An eight-second video of the incident posted by a resident was uploaded onto social media platform TikTok, which showed the fireworks going off in the housing estate. The video has since been taken down.  No injuries were reported. Fireworks near Block 642 Yishun Street 61 on Apr 9, 2024, as seen in a TikTok video that has since been taken down. (Image: Facebook/Singapore Incidents) WHAT HAPPENED The court heard that in March this year, Noor Azhar bought a box of containing 25 tubes of fireworks labelled “Happy Boom Shoot” from an unknown person in the Geylang area.  He planned to use them during the Hari Raya Puasa celebrations the following month.     On the eve of Hari Raya, he discharged the fireworks at the grass patch in Yishun, with the fireworks hitting about 10-storeys high and lasting for about two minutes. Court documents did not state if this grass patch was near Noor Azhar's home. Due to the commotion and spectacle caused by the discharge of the fireworks, members of the public became alarmed and called the police, who managed to trace Noor Azhar through surveillance cameras in the area. The remains of the fireworks were then seized for analysis. A photo of the box of fireworks found at the scene. (Photo: Court documents/TODAY) Two video clips of the act were played in court. On Tuesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Norman Yew sought a S$5,000 fine as punishment. DPP Yew told the court that Noor Azhar’s actions had caused unnecessary alarm to residents, adding that there was an element of premeditation.     During his mitigation plea, Noor Azhar said that he was deeply remorseful for his actions, which was “carried out without thinking”. Under the Dangerous Fireworks Act, it is an offence to possess, sell, transport, deliver, distribute, import or discharge any dangerous fireworks in Singapore. For his offence, Noor Azhar could have been jailed for up to two years, fined between S$2,000 and S$10,000, or both. This article was originally published in TODAY. Source: TODAY/rk  

The Transport Safety Investigations Bureau of Singapore (TSIB) has released their preliminary findings for the SQ321 flight incident after retrieving data from the flight data and cockpit voice recorder from the plane less than a week ago.   A media release by the Ministry of Transport on May 29, 2024, listed a summary of the events that happened aboard according to TSIB's investigations.   What happened   According to the release, SQ321 departed London on May 20, and the flight was normal prior to the turbulence event. All times noted are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).  At 7:49:21am on May 21, the aircraft was passing over the south of Myanmar at 37,000 ft and "likely flying over an area of developing convective activity".  The gravitational force (G), recorded as vertical accelerations, "fluctuated between positive (+ve) 0.44G and +ve 1.57G for a period of about 19 sec", causing "slight vibration".  Around the same time as the onset of the "slight vibration", an "uncommanded increase" in aircraft altitude, reaching a peak of 37,362ft, was recorded. In response to this "uncommanded" altitude increase,  the autopilot pitched the aircraft downwards to descend back to an altitude of 37,000ft. The pilots observed an "uncommanded" increase in airspeed, which they responded to by extending the speed brakes. TSIB believed both the "uncommanded" increase in altitude and airspeed mentioned were most likely due to the aircraft being acted upon by an updraft, which is the upward movement of air.   A rapid descent   At 7:49:32am, as both pilots were managing the airspeed, a pilot called out for passengers to fasten their seat belts.  Just eight seconds later, at 7:49:40am, the aircraft experienced a rapid change in G-force "from +ve 1.35G to negative (-ve) 1.5G" within just 0.6 seconds. TSIB said it likely caused those not wearing their seatbelts to become airborne.  One second later at 7:49:41am, the vertical acceleration reversed from -ve 1.5G to +ve 1.5G within 4 seconds. This likely resulted in the occupants who were airborne to fall back down. The rapid fluctuations in G-force over the 4.6-second duration resulted in an altitude drop of 178 ft (54.3m), from 37,362ft to 37,184ft. 54.3m is the equivalent of 20 floors in an HDB block. TSIB believes that this sequence of events likely caused the injuries to the crew and passengers. Amid the rapid changes in G-force, pilots initiated control inputs to stabilise the aircraft, disengaging the autopilot in this process. The pilots then manually controlled the aircraft for 21 seconds and reengaged the autopilot at 07:50:05am. Gradual fluctuations in G were recorded for the next 24 seconds, while the aircraft returned to 37,000ft at 07:50:23 hr.   Diverted to Bangkok   After the turbulence event, the pilots decided to divert to Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand, after the cabin crew informed them that there were injured passengers.   On the way to Bangkok, the pilots requested medical services to meet the aircraft on arrival. Approximately 17 minutes after the turbulence event, at 8:06:51am, the pilots initiated a normal, controlled descent from 37,000ft and the aircraft reached 31,000ft at 8:10:00am. The data showed that the aircraft did not encounter further severe turbulence during this diversion, and touched down in Suvarnabhumi Airport at 8:45:12am. TSIB said investigations are ongoing.   Statement from SIA   SIA issued a statement on the preliminary findings by TSIB. SIA said that it is "fully cooperating with the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigations into this incident" and that "the safety and well-being of our passengers and staff are our top priorities." SIA added that it is "committed to supporting our passengers and crew members who were on board SQ321 on that day, as well as their families and loved ones." This includes "covering their medical and hospital expenses, as well as any additional assistance they may need." SIA also expressed its appreciation for the "invaluable assistance" provided by the governments of Singapore and Thailand, "as well as our many partners and the medical teams in both countries and around the world." "We are also humbled by and grateful for the encouragement from our passengers and members of the public," SIA said.

SINGAPORE: A second worker died on Tuesday night (May 28) after inhaling toxic gas at PUB's Choa Chu Kang Waterworks last week. The 24-year-old Malaysian, who was an employee of PUB's contractor Stargroup Est, was admitted to intensive care after the incident on May 23. He died of his injuries on Tuesday, said PUB on Wednesday. He and two other workers had collapsed after inhaling hydrogen sulphide gas while draining sludge from one of the plant’s pulsator tanks as part of tank cleaning work. Hydrogen sulphide is a gas produced from sludge, which is a by-product of the water treatment process. It is a colourless gas with a potent, unpleasant odour, and is highly toxic and flammable. All three workers were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where one of them, a 40-year-old Indian national, died the same day. The other two workers, both Malaysians, were warded in intensive care. The 24-year-old Malaysian worker "received all necessary medical treatment but unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries at around 10pm on May 28", said PUB, Singapore's national water agency. The remaining worker, a 39-year-old, was moved out of the ICU on Tuesday. His condition is currently stable. PUB expressed its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased worker.  "Together with our contractor, we are doing everything possible to support his family during this difficult period," it said. It added that it is cooperating fully with the Ministry of Manpower on its investigation and is conducting a safety investigation of its own. "We would like to seek the public’s understanding that we are unable to provide further information on the incident at this juncture," said the agency.   As part of its safety timeout, PUB said it has been reviewing safety protocols, especially those pertaining to work in confined spaces where there is the risk of exposure to toxic gases and chemicals. It is also reinforcing the importance of following procedures to ensure the safety of its employees and contractor workers.  "We have been progressively lifting the safety timeout at worksites and plants where we are satisfied that the necessary and appropriate measures are in place," said PUB.  

I will jiak her pgd too mmmmm yum yum

@classyNfabulous jasmine bky?