Jun 25, 2010
4 hurt by fallen trees
<!-- by line --> By Hoe Pei Shan
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Gusty winds snapped and uprooted at least six trees, some of which fell across major roads, blocking lanes and bringing traffic to a halt. -- ST PHOTO: HOE PEI SHAN
FOUR people were injured when falling trees or tree branches struck the cars they were in during Friday morning's intense and heavy downpour which caused flash floods in many areas across Singapore. Gusty winds snapped and uprooted at least six trees, some of which fell across major roads, blocking lanes and bringing traffic to a halt. Along the Central Expressway towards Yishun, between Ang Mo Kio Avenues 1 and 3, a tree fell onto several vehicles, including a van at around 9am.
A man and woman in the van were injured. The Singapore Civil Defence Force rushed two ambulances to the scene. The couple were treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The woman had bruises and the man fractured his left hand. Just half an hour later, along Kampung Bahru Road towards Keppel Distripark, near the Malayan Railway (KTM) station, two more persons were injured when a tree fell on a taxi. They were both sent to Singapore General Hospital by the SCDF.
The man had a laceration on his right hand, while the woman injured her left hand. SCDF officers also rescued a passenger and the driver from another taxi which was stuck in the floodwaters at the junction of Macpherson Road and Kampong Ampat at about 9 am. They were also called to help evacuate 18 preschoolers at a childcare centre at Telok Kurau Lorong G, and pump out water from the school premises. The pupils and seven staff members were moved to a neighbour's house.
