← Evidence Library

Primary document

The Straits Times, 16 March 1986

National Library Board Singapore

Where this source supports the record

Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.

  1. Engineering failures · 15 March 1986

    Hotel New World Collapse

    Former Lian Yak Building site · Singapore

    Open article references →
    Why editors use it here

    Digitized contemporary newspaper issue preserving initial reporting, photographs, rescue conditions, and public response.

    1. Quick read

      At 11:25 a.m.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026
    2. Trigger and conditions

      Occupants noticed cracks and falling material shortly before the structure failed.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026
    3. Uncertainty

      The inquiry established the central design failure, while later accounts differ in describing the contribution of additions, installations, and immediate warning signs.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026
    4. Why it matters

      Hotel New World demonstrates that a building can appear ordinary while a basic calculation error consumes its safety margin for years.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026