MARANG: When a booming sound was heard at SMK Wakaf Tapai on Friday night, head master Roslan Awang thought it was a pane flying low.

About 90 minutes later he learned that the roof of the school?s RM2 million hall had collapsed.

No one was hurt as Roslan and some 60 of his students were at the school surau when the roof collapsed at 8.30pm.

"We were at the surau when we heard the sound," he said yesterday.

He had accompanied Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali and state Education director Ariffin Embong who visited the site.

"It was only at 10pm that one of my teachers told me that the roof had come crashing down."

It is believed that weak beams supporting the roof were the cause of the collapse.

Razali ordered the ministry's construction officer to work with the Public Works Department to investigate the cause of the collapse.

He also instructed officers to inspect other school buildings as a precaution.

"I can't imagine what would have happened if activities had been taking place inside when the roof collapsed," said Razali.

"This is somewhat out of the ordinary."

Hazian Hashim, a representative of Yusuf Yassin Sdn Bhd, the company which built the hall, said an inspection of the beams revealed they were weak.

However, the blamed the subcontractor for the shoddy work.

"The other structures in the hall are fine, except for the beams," said Hazian..