SINGAPORE - The peaceful afternoon atmosphere in Bedok Reservoir Road was shattered on Thursday (Nov 8), as bricks from the external facade of an HDB block dropped and fell nine storeys to the ground.

According to Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News, the incident occurred at Block 634 at around 3pm. No injuries were reported.

A resident on the ninth floor, who did not wish to be named, told The Straits Times that this was the first time such an incident had happened in the 17 years that she had been living there.

Although she was not worried about the structural integrity of her own unit, she expressed concern for other residents in the area.

"I'm worried about the people walking down below the block, that more bricks might drop," she said.

She added that some engineers had come to her unit shortly after the incident to conduct checks, and that the block of flats is over 20 years old.

A spokesman for Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) told ST that AHTC was alerted to the incident at 3.20pm on Thursday. It immediately cordoned off the area as a safety precaution.

The spokesman added that AHTC is working with the relevant authorities, and that an investigation is in progress.

Mr Pritam Singh, an MP for Aljunied GRC, called the incident "a close shave" in a Facebook post on Friday.

He stated that officers from the Building and Construction Authority and Housing Board were on site "very shortly" after the incident.

He added that AHTC has appointed a Professional Engineer to inspect the affected block and the other blocks in the precinct.