Actor Aloysius Pang seriously injured in overseas military exercise in New Zealand

Local actor Aloysius Pang was seriously injured on Saturday while taking part in a military exercise in New Zealand.

The 28-year-old Singaporean, who holds the rank of Corporal First Class (NS), is an armament technician in the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) 268th Battalion Singapore Artillery.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Defence said that CFC (NS) Pang suffered a serious injury while repairing a Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer while participating in Exercise Thunder Warrior at the Waiouru Training Area in New Zealand.

The weapons system, also known as the Primus, features an artillery gun mounted on a vehicle chassis, with a weight of about 28,000kg.

The nature of the actor's injuries has not been disclosed.

Mindef said the incident happened at about 2.05pm (Singapore time), and CFC (NS) Pang was transferred to the Battalion Casualty Station at 2.25pm where he was assessed and stabilised.

He was then evacuated to Waiouru Camp Medical Centre at 2.50pm.

At 4.10pm, a helicopter arrived at the camp and evacuated him about 190km to Waikato hospital in Hamilton, south of Auckland, at 4.50pm.

"CFC (NS) Pang was conscious throughout the evacuation and arrived at the hospital at 6pm where he underwent surgery, which was completed at 11.40pm," said Mindef.

"He is now being monitored in the high dependency unit."

His condition will be assessed to see if he needs another round of surgery.

NoonTalk Media, which manages Pang, posted on Facebook yesterday that his mother was flying to New Zealand, and that they are in close communication with Mindef.

"We'll like to express our thanks to all friends, colleagues, media partners and the public for your care and concern for Aloysius," the post added.

"At this stage, we are still waiting for more information on Aloysius' condition from Mindef and his family, who are en route to New Zealand.

"Please bear with us and join us in praying for his swift recovery."

Pang's brother, Jefferson, 32, told the media yesterday that his sibling was in stable condition, but the family does not yet know the extent of his injuries.

Their mother had spoken to his injured brother yesterday morning, added Mr Pang, who will be flying with their father to New Zealand today.

AWARDS

Pang, who started acting at age nine, was among eight young male stars picked by Mediacorp to form a new generation of actors dubbed the "Eight Dukes".

He was named as one of the top 10 most popular male artists at the 2016 Star Awards, and won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2015 Star Awards.

He had been cast as the male lead in the Channel 8 drama My One in a Million, which is due to start filming next month.

Following news of Pang's injuries, his fellow actors and fans went on social media to wish him a speedy recovery.

Actress Carrie Wong posted a photo of Pang and her on her Instagram, saying: "Praying for your speedy recovery. You are a strong man, be back home soon."

Another actress, Paige Chua, also posted a photo of her with Pang on Instagram and wrote: "He is superhuman. Resilient is his middle name. He will recover faster than u think...."

Actor Dasmond Koh, who co-founded NoonTalk Media, also posted on Instagram in Chinese that he is "a little dazed and overwhelmed" by news of the incident.

Exercise Thunder Warrior is an annual live-firing exercise that has been conducted since 1997. This year's exercise runs from Jan 5 to Feb 2 and involves more than 500 personnel.

Mindef said it is assisting Pang's family during this period, and that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.