Military Orders Training Pause After Fatal Accident

The Singaporean army has implemented a training standdown after a reservist was killed in an accident in New Zealand, reports the New Straits Times (Singapore). 

The pace of training will be slowed while the service conducts a review of training and safety practices, the defense chief said on Thursday. 

The pause will not affect operational readiness, said Lt. Gen. Melvyn Ong. 

The move came a day after Aloysius Pang, who was performing his mandatory military service, died following an accident during a training exercise in New Zealand. 

Pang, 28, was critically injured on Sunday as he repaired a self-propelled howitzer, reported Agence France-Presse. The barrel of the gun reportedly crushed Pang's chest while he stood in the cabin. Another technician and the gun detachment commander were uninjured in the incident. 

An independent investigation into his death will be convened, reported Channel News Asia (Singapore).