Coroner rules teen's death in Bedok basketball frame collapse a misadventure

A coroner has ruled that the death of a 17-year-old who was pinned by a falling basketball frame at Bedok South Road was a misadventure. The court found that inconsistent welding of the structure's poles likely caused the collapse, and that no professional engineer was engaged for renovation works.

SINGAPORE: A coroner has ruled the death of a 17-year-old boy who suffered fatal head injuries after a basketball frame fell on him a misadventure.

Mohd Ridwan was playing basketball at Block 18 Bedok South Road on Jul 26, 2021, when he attempted a dunk and held onto the basketball rim for a few seconds. The structure later fell on him, pinning him.

Delivering his findings on Friday (Sep 18), State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said Ridwan's manner of playing basketball that day did not contribute to the accident. Dunking and holding on to the rim were “part and parcel of the game” and the structure should easily have been able to withstand the forces involved, he said.

“This was a truly tragic case of a young man with his entire life before him suddenly struck down in his prime,” he said, offering his condolences to Ridwan's family.

He reiterated findings by the Health Sciences Authority that inconsistent welding of the structure could have contributed its collapse. The upper and bottom parts of the two poles in the basketball structure had been welded together, and the structure broke at the welded joint, which was the weakest point, the court heard on Friday.

If both poles of the basketball structure were one complete pole instead of two parts welded together, the breakage, and consequently the accident, would not have occurred, the coroner said. Upon reviewing schematics from the manufacturer, the coroner concluded that it was most probable that the poles had been damaged and then repaired by welding. The basketball structure on the opposite side of the court did not have similar welding, he noted.

The coroner could not determine whether the damage and welding occurred before or after the basketball structure was delivered to KAF Resources, the company that was subcontracted to install it. According to previous reports, the basketball court had undergone renovations shortly before the accident.

The coroner highlighted that a professional engineer had not been engaged to design any aspect of the renovation works. The contract required the reconstruction to be carried out according to a design endorsed by a professional engineer to ensure the basketball court was safe and suitable for use, the coroner’s court previously heard. However, the project manager from TMS Alliances, the company awarded the tender for East Coast Town Council repair works, was not aware that a professional engineer was required. The company therefore did not engage one or ensure that KAF Resources did so.

As a result, there were no checks during or after the installation of the basketball structure to ensure that it was structurally sound, Judge Nakhoda said on Friday. The police similarly concluded in their investigation report that there had been a failure to properly check the structural integrity of the basketball poles and to engage a professional engineer for the project, the coroner noted.

CNA has reached out to East Coast Town Council for comment on the coroner’s findings.