Aloysius Pang passes away after reservist accident in New Zealand

Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) have confirmed that Aloysius Pang, who was injured on January 19 during a reservist training exercise in New Zealand, passed away at 8.45pm last night (Jan 23) at Waikato Hospital.

According to a press release that was shared at 11.29pm last night, the 28-year-old actor “was carrying out repair works inside the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer (SSPH) with two other SAF personnel” and “sustained injuries when the gun barrel was lowered”. A previous update by MINDEF specified that the injuries were on his chest and abdominal areas.

“He was evacuated to Waikato Hospital, a regional trauma centre where he underwent a number of surgeries to treat his injuries. Dr Teo Li Tserng, Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, was flown in to assist the New Zealand medical team tending to CFC (NS) Pang. Despite surgical attempts to repair damaged organs putting him on artificial life support, CFC (NS) Pang succumbed to the injuries and passed away”, reads the rest of the statement.

“An independent Committee of Inquiry will be convened to investigate the circumstances leading to the incident. A press conference will be held on 24 January 2019 to present the preliminary findings and will be chaired by the Chief of Defence Force.” It added that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be making arrangements to bring his body home.

Mediacorp's official statement reads, "It is with great sadness that Mediacorp conveys our deepest sympathies to the family of artiste Aloysius Pang. Aloysius grew up with Mediacorp, starting his career as a child actor in our dramas in 1999. He was named one of the 8 Dukes of Caldecott Hill in 2014, awarded Best Newcomer at Star Awards 2015 and became one of the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes at Star Awards 2016. Over the years, Aloysius matured as an actor and was recently cast in the lead role of My One in a Million, a future drama on Channel 8.

Aloysius was much loved by all who worked with him and extremely popular with fans. He was a highly capable actor who had grown in skill and versatility but remained humble, diligent and ever willing to help others. He will always be remembered for his good-heartedness, his sincere, unaffected earnestness and his professionalism. He showed respect to everyone, especially his elders.

This is a devastating loss and we feel deeply for Aloysius’s family, friends, fans, his colleagues at NoonTalk Media and fellow artistes and teams who worked with him. We will do all we can to support them at this very difficult time."

A statement shared on Aloysius's Instagram page on behalf of his family reads, "Throughout the past few days in the hospital, it has been a difficult time for us. Every news that were brought upon us since his last op was devastating with little signs of hope on his recovery. We all broke down when the medical team spoke to us that his condition is worsening and we should be prepared for the worst. We're going to lose a brother. And my parents are going to lose their precious son whom is only 28. Thus I seek everybody's kind understanding that we are unable to comment further during these precarious time."

Aloysius was first reported to be “doing well” at a sudden press conference on January 21, but things were reported to have taken a turn for the worst the next night and he was required to have additional surgery, which was completed at 11.54pm on January 22. He was then put on artificial life support for his lungs, kidneys, and heart, according to a Facebook post by Minister for Defence, Ng Eng Hen.

In his last Instagram post shared on January 5, Aloysius posted a selfie of himself and wrote, “Off to serve our country. Back at the end of the month! May not be able to post much when I'm there so [wait for me to come back] yeah”.

Ever since news of his accident broke on the morning of January 20, many of his friends, colleagues, and former co-stars took to their respective social media accounts to share their well-wishes and prayers.

Toggle wishes to extend our condolences to Aloysius’s family and loved ones. He will be very, very missed by all of us.

Click through as we look back on his showbiz path and remember some of his most notable roles:

Photo: Instagram/NoonTalk Media