Actor Aloysius Pang seriously injured during military training exercise in New Zealand

28-year-old Singaporean was taking part in his country's annual Thunder Warrior war games

Peter Stubley
Monday 21 January 2019 17:32 GMT
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Actor Aloysius Pang was serving as a reservist with the Singapore Armed Forces as part of his compulsory national service
Actor Aloysius Pang was serving as a reservist with the Singapore Armed Forces as part of his compulsory national service

A Singaporean actor has been seriously injured while taking part in a live-fire military exercise in New Zealand.

Aloysius Pang, 28, was wounded in the chest and abdomen while carrying out repairs inside a motorised artillery gun on Saturday.

He was evacuated by helicopter from the Waiorou training area on the North Island and taken to hospital for emergency surgery.

Mr Pang, who has starred in several Singaporean films and television series, was serving in the defence force as an armament technician as part of his compulsory national service.

He had posted on Facebook before he left: “Unfortunately my 2019 will start off with me flying to New Zealand for three weeks due to reservist. I’ll be back in action soon.”

A Singapore self-propelled howitzer takes part in the live-firing exercise in New Zealand

Singapore’s defence ministry said in a statement that they were investigating the cause of the incident during the annual “Exercise Thunder Warrior”.

It said: “At approximately 2.05pm on Saturday, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) operationally ready national serviceman, corporal first class Pang Wei Chong, Aloysius, 28, was carrying out repair works inside the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer at Waiouru Training Area, New Zealand when he sustained injuries to his chest and abdominal areas.

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“He underwent abdominal surgery on the same evening at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand, which was completed at 11.40pm. Follow-up surgery was successfully completed at 11am today.

“A medical team from Singapore is working with the New Zealand team to provide the best possible care.”

The ministry said Mr Pang’s mother had flown to New Zealand to visit him in hospital and his father and brother were due to arrive on Monday evening.

Doctors told Singaporean media that Mr Pang was in a stable condition and was “awake and alert”.

His agents, Noontalk Media, suggested he may not be fit to return to work for six months.

The actor is mostly known for his role the film Young & Fabulous and he had been due to play the male lead in the romantic drama My One in a Million in February.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

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