By Caroline Manu-Moli

Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a 'Ulukālala was nearly "plastered" this morning when a long strip of plaster molding fell from a high ceiling at the Loumaile Lodge, hitting the floor right behind his chair.

In the photograph (above) showing the fallen plaster, the chairs have been moved forward for the group photo.

The Crown Prince was seated as the Guest of Honour at the opening of a national dialogue on "Tonga Green Growth Economy", in the Lodge's conference room in Taufa'ahau Road, with about 100 guests and delegates.

About half way into the program a loud thud echoed through the first floor of the timber building. Guests were shocked and looked around the room to see what had happened.

A length of ornamental plaster molding about 2 metres long, had fallen from the high ceiling above and behind where the Crown Prince was sitting alongside the program’s keynote speakers, the Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni and the Australian High Commissioner to Tonga HE Mr Andrew Ford.

Mr Ford later told Matangi Tonga that “Yes, the plaster did give me a bit of a fright. I didn't know what had happened until after it had fallen.”

“I’m not sure what damage it would have done if someone got hit!” he said.

The room was full at the start of the two half days of national dialogue on sustainable development, with 80 participants from the outer islands, private sector, government representatives, civil society, women and youth representatives, along with invited guest speakers from the Pacific Islands region.

The manager of Loumaile Lodge, Siosaia Moehau told Matangi Tonga, “a banner was taken down from a previous conference which loosened the molded chalk plaster framing of the wall”. Saia believed that it was “not a big threat," and "the loose materials were not an essential part of the building construction.”