Asbestos found on Kusu Island; lagoon and beach areas to be closed till Oct

SINGAPORE — Traces of asbestos, a hazardous material, have been discovered on Kusu Island, the authorities said on Friday (May 4) after a similar discovery on St John's Island over a week ago.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said it would conduct surveys for asbestos on other publicly accessible islands around Singapore, but declared Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat and Kias Island to be free of the hazardous material thus far.

(Click to enlarge) Publicly-accessible areas on Kusu Island. Image: Singapore Land Authority

Asbestos is a potentially toxic mineral that could cause lung cancer and other illnesses if its fibres are inhaled over a prolonged period. It was once commonly used in building materials, but has since been banned in Singapore and other developed countries due to concerns about health risks.

In a statement, the SLA said that it would be closing off the affected areas on Kusu Island - a lagoon and parts of the beach - until October this year for workers to remove the asbestos.

Popular sites like the Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Kong) temple, wishing well, tortoise sanctuary, a temporary hawker centre and the jetty will remain open to public as asbestos was not discovered there.

The daily ferry services to the island, about 5.6km south of Singapore, are unaffected as well, SLA added.

It did not disclose how much asbestos was discovered on Kusu Island, beyond saying the hazardous material was discovered in "pieces of debris".

On April 23, SLA announced that it was sealing off the recreational areas on St John's Island until the middle of next year following the discovery of debris containing asbestos.

Meanwhile, survey work on Pulau Hantu is expected to be completed by next week.

"If asbestos is found, SLA will undertake the necessary removal works and implement similar precautionary measures to safeguard public safety," the authority said.