Falling trees

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Fallen tree that killed woman at Marsiling Park had termite infestation but showed no signs of poor health​

The termites had entered the tree from beneath the ground and left no visible signs such as a m&d trail or mound. PHOTO: ST FILE

Jessie Lim


OCT 13, 2022

SINGAPORE - A tree in Marsiling Park that fell and killed a woman in February 2021 was infested with termites but did not show visible signs of poor health, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Thursday.
On the first day of a coroner's inquiry into the death of Ms Loke Xiao Li, NParks' group director of streetscape Oh Cheow Sheng said the termite infestation was not detected when a visual tree assessment was last conducted in April 2020.
The termites had entered the 20m-tall Araucaria excelsa tree from beneath the ground, leaving no visible signs such as a m&d trail or mound.
Nutrients and water could still flow to the tree, which had a girth of 1.3m, and its foliage did not show any symptom of poor health, Mr Oh said.
NParks inspected the tree every 24 months until June 2019, when the period was shortened to every 18 months due to more intense weather conditions such as high rainfall, he added.
"The tree was consistently recorded as being in healthy condition and excellent rigour, with no decay and no cavities," said Mr Oh.
Noting that NParks manages six million trees, Mr Oh said visual assessments are carried out regularly on trees in urban areas in alignment with international best practices laid out by the International Society of Arboriculture.

"During a visual tree assessment, a tree's crown, branches, trunk and the site conditions around the tree will be inspected in a rigorous and systematic way."
When State Coroner Adam Nakhoda asked if the NParks officers conducting such assessments were certified arborists, Mr Oh said not all of them were, as this would require them to have at least three years of working experience in arboriculture.
Mr Oh said a second, more advanced, assessment may be conducted in certain conditions, including if the visual tree assessment reveals the presence of defects that warrant further investigation.

The second level of checks, which are more rigorous and stringent, involves specialised equipment such as a high-tech drill that assesses the quality of a tree's internal wood based on the resistance met by the drill.
"However, such techniques and resources can be cost-intensive. It is not practical nor financially feasible to conduct advanced-level inspection as a blanket measure," said Mr Oh.

Ms Loke Xiao Li was wearing her earbuds and listening to music during her run when a tree fell on her and killed her in Marsiling Park last February. PHOTOS: HILMI JAMIL/FACEBOOK, WONG SHIYING
Representing Ms Loke's parents, who were in court, Mr Azri Imran Tan from IRB Law asked about weather conditions on Feb 18, 2021, the day of the incident.
Mr Oh said that based on his recollections, it was not raining and wind gust was moderate.
Mr Tan also asked if the age and weight of the tree could have caused it to collapse. Mr Oh said the tree was relatively young, and a healthy, living tree would have been able to sustain its own weight.

As a precautionary measure, NParks conducted visual assessments of the other Araucaria excelsa trees in the park and treated them with termiticide.
Mr Oh said: "This is a very rare situation where the tree is structurally compromised, yet did not show any external signs or symptoms... For the past 12 years, there have been only three cases in which tree failure is attributed directly to termite infestations."
The inquiry will continue on Friday.

 

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1mar2023 pie after a whole day and night of rain.tree fell and blocked 4 out of 5 lanes​

 

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3mar2023 nonstop relentless rain over last few days caused tree to fall tiong bahru & bukit timah​

 

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One person injured after tree falls on Tiong Bahru Road, damaging walkway and car​

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The fallen tree cut off the four-lane, two-way road. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

The incident is believed to have happened at around 5.30pm

Workers remove the toppled tree and the damaged shelters along Tiong Bahru Road, on March 3, 2023.

Yong Li Xuan

March 3, 2023

SINGAPORE - One person was taken to hospital after a large tree fell across Tiong Bahru Road on Friday evening.
The upended tree cut off the four-lane, two-way road, and damaged a sheltered walkway and a car. From photos circulating in Telegram groups, its roots looked to be about two storeys tall when contrasted against nearby Housing Board blocks.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance along Tiong Bahru Road at about 5.35pm. Police and SCDF officers were seen at the scene, with at least one ambulance on site.
In another photo circulating in online chat groups, there were at least five buses lined up along the road, which is near Tiong Bahru Market.
SBS Transit said in a Twitter post at 6.05pm that services 5, 16, 33, 33A, 63, 851, 122, 123, 123M, 195 and 195A have been diverted from Tiong Bahru Road, with five bus stops skipped due to the incident.
Tiong Bahru resident Peter Hoskins told The Straits Times that at least 20 people crowded around one side of the fallen tree.
He added that police officers told him and other bystanders to move away from the damaged covered walkway as it may not be safe to stand underneath it.

He also observed workers “chopping the tree” and towing away parts of it with a lorry crane.
The 55-year-old, who lives about 300m away from the place where the tree fell, said he had heard a noise, but assumed it was because of construction work. He later learnt about the fallen tree from a residents’ Facebook group.
A video taken by Mr Hoskins near the fallen tree showed a black Mercedes with the roof above the rear passenger seats crumpled inwards.
Mr Hoskins said: “If the ground is that wet now and there are a lot of these big trees, I will think twice before I walk under one in the coming days. Seeing what it did to that car, I wouldn’t want that on my head.”
ST has contacted the Housing and Development Board, and the Tanjong Pagar Town Council for comment.

 

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1 killed, 4 injured after huge Tembusu tree falls at Botanic Gardens
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Members of the SCDF attending to injured people after the collapse of the Tembusu tree on Feb 11, 2017.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Felicia Choo and Toh Wen Li

FEB 12, 2021

SINGAPORE - A 40m-tall Tembusu tree fell at the Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) on Saturday (Feb 11) afternoon, killing one and injuring four people.

Police said that a 38-year-old female Indian national died. Her husband, a 39-year-old French national, and their two children, aged one, were injured. A 26-year-old female Singaporean was also injured in the incident.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said that the tree was more than 270 years old and predated the establishment of the Gardens. It fell and brought down surrounding palm trees.

It was last inspected in September 2016 and was found to be healthy, said NParks. It is investigating what caused the tree to fall.

Those hurt in the incident, including the two children, were taken to the National University Hospital in three ambulances, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

The Tembusu tree, which had a 6.5m girth, was uprooted at 4.25pm at the edge of Palm Valley near the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage.

"We are sad that there was one fatality and four other injured persons. Our priority now is to accord assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured," said Mr Kenneth Er, chief executive officer of NParks, in a statement on Saturday evening.

"As an SBG Heritage tree, it was inspected twice a year, which is of a higher frequency than other trees in the Gardens. The tree was also protected by a lightning conductor and fenced off to prevent compaction of its root zone by visitors. Leaf litter is routinely applied to the root zone to encourage healthy root growth," he added.

A concert scheduled for the evening has been cancelled. The concert, called "Canada 150: Celebrating Diversity through Music and Film", was supposed to take place at the stage from 5pm to 7pm.

All programmes at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Sunday (Feb 12) have been cancelled.

Police and the SCDF were at the scene when The Straits Times went there around 5.30pm.

NParks told The Straits Times that it is focusing on clearing up the site.

Artist Tina Fung, 34, said: "I was walking towards the event at the stage. I didn't hear it (fall). Two guys had scratches on their legs, and there was a lady they were trying to resuscitate. It looked pretty serious.

"Some people (members of public) were trying to rush to help, but they were cordoning off the space," she said. Ms Fung is the artist behind the Canada 150 structure, which is supposed to be unveiled today.

Manager Mr Zhou, 49, arrived at the site several minutes after the tree fell. He said that the injured woman looked to be Indian and that rescue efforts were “pretty fast."

On Saturday (Feb 11), Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam expressed his sympathies to the family of the person who was killed, and stated that investigations are ongoing as to why the tree fell.

In a Facebook statement, police advised members of the public to stay away from the site to facilitate the rescue work by the Singapore Police Force and the SCDF.

Dr Shawn Lum, a botany expert from Nanyang Technological University's Asian School of the Environment, said he was surprised and sad to hear about the incident.

A possible, but unlikely, reason for the tree uprooting could be that rot or a fungal infection had occurred in the root area of the tree, causing it to weaken and eventually fail. However, this is not a common occurrence in Tembusu trees, said Dr Lum, who is also president of the Nature Society (Singapore).

The recent heavy rains and gusty winds experienced on Saturday could also have been a factor, he said. "The Tembusu that fell is on a slope, although not a very steep one. But after the recent heavy rains and the very gusty winds on Saturday and on Friday, it could be that the slope gave way first rather than the tree itself."

The reason for the tree's fall still remains to be seen, said Dr Lum, but it is something that cannot be anticipated.

Tembusu trees, which thrive even on very poor soils, are commonly planted in parks and along roadsides. At least 10 such trees in places like the Singapore Botanic Gardens, St John's Island and Sentosa have been designated Heritage Trees.

Native to Singapore, the evergreen tree with low-lying branches can reach heights of up to 40m. It can live more than 100 years.

The most famous Tembusu is the one at Lawn E of Botanic Gardens near the Swan Lake. The tree, which is more than 200 years old, is featured on Singapore's $5 note. It was fenced up in 2013 to prevent visitors from treading around it and affecting the growth of its roots.

Here is the text of the National Parks Board statement in full:

11 February 2017, Singapore – A 40m tall Tembusu Heritage Tree of 6.5m girth was uprooted at 4.25pm today at the edge of Palm Valley in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This tree was more than 270 years old and predated the establishment of the Gardens. It fell and brought down surrounding palm trees.

We are investigating the cause of the tree fall. It was last inspected in September 2016 and was found to be healthy.

As an SBG Heritage tree, it was inspected twice a year, which is of a higher frequency than other trees in the Gardens. The tree was also protected by a lightning conductor and fenced off to prevent compaction of its root zone by visitors. Leaf litter is routinely applied to the root zone to encourage healthy root growth.

We are sad that there was one fatality and four other injured persons.

Our priority now is to accord assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured.

Mr Kenneth Er
Chief Executive Officer
National Parks Board

Can we have another poem from Looong?

 

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I thought I was going to die: Driver recounts close shave with tree that fell across Tiong Bahru Road​

Had Mr Wang been a second slower, the tree would have hit the roof of the car above where he was sitting. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Ang Qing

March 4, 2023


SINGAPORE – As he was driving along Tiong Bahru Road on Friday, Mr Wang saw a big tree to his left tilt before it started crashing down in his path.
“I thought ‘I’m definitely going to die’,” the 22-year-old told Shin Min Daily News, before he floored the accelerator of his father’s black Mercedes-Benz sedan, hoping that the tree would miss the car.
The massive tree fell across the four-lane, two-way road at about 5.30pm, crushing the back half of his car, damaging a sheltered walkway and disrupting 11 bus services. Mr Wang was taken to the hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
Had Mr Wang – who declined to give his full name – been a second slower, the falling tree would have hit the car right where he was sitting, based on footage taken by the car’s dashboard camera seen by Shin Min.
Mr Wang told the Chinese language newspaper that he felt okay after the accident, but he started trembling while in the hospital for observation when he recalled his near-death experience and could not sleep till 4am on Saturday.
He added that he woke up later that day with neck pain and numbness in his legs, and hope that the authorities will check other old trees along the road to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Indranee Rajah said in a Facebook post on Friday night that the tree was cleared 4½ hours after it fell and the roads had been reopened.


The relevant agencies will check the other trees in the area on Saturday as a precaution, she added.
Mr Wang’s father, Mr Wang Wei Ping, told Shin Min that he had bought the second-hand car for $70,000 and had been hoping to sell it to buy a bigger car.
He said he was told by his insurance company that it would be difficult to claim for compensation as the incident was regarded as an act of God.
He added that he is considering claiming for compensation from the authorities.
HDB said on Friday that it is investigating the cause of the incident.

 

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Tree falls on cars in Dempsey, injuring 2 people​

The tree landed on a red sports car and a white car in front of the restaurant Blu Kouzina in Dempsey. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VIVIAN TAN

Ang Qing

March 5, 2023

SINGAPORE - Two people suffered minor injuries after a tree fell on two cars in Dempsey on Saturday evening.
The tree landed on a red sports car and a white car in front of the restaurant Blu Kouzina.
This is at least the second tree to have fallen in the restaurant area recently. Another tree fell in Dempsey on Jan 30.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call on Saturday for assistance at 10 Dempsey Road at about 7.20pm.
Two people were assessed for minor injuries and they refused to be taken to the hospital, SCDF added.
Ms Vivian Tan, a curator at the REDSEA Gallery across the road from Blu Kouzina, told The Straits Times she heard a thunderous bang from inside the gallery, which startled her and about six others.
The 24-year-old rushed out to find the fallen tree lying on the two cars, one of which was empty.

She added: “The door of a red car that the tree fell on opened and the woman and man inside managed to exit.”
The woman appeared to be in shock, as the tree trunk had hit where she was sitting in the car, and she then sat on a chair provided by the SCDF, said Ms Tan.
By 9pm, workers started sawing the tree’s branches and a lorry arrived about half an hour later to help with removing the tree, she added.

The Straits Times has contacted the Singapore Land Authority for comment.
Another tree fell and damaged at least five cars on Jan 30, nearly 300m away from Saturday’s incident.
Mr Augustine Cheah, who owns one of the cars affected in the Jan 30 incident, said his vehicle sustained a couple of dents on the roof and a door, while another car’s roof had partially caved in.
The 62-year-old retired broker was meeting some friends nearby when he heard about the treefall. He is still in the process of claiming for compensation, he said.

Separately, another tree fell close to a residential block at Paya Lebar Way and the Pan Island Expressway on Saturday morning, said MacPherson SMC MP Tin Pei Ling in a Facebook post.
Nobody was hurt, she added, with workers contracted by the Marine Parade Town Council working through the heavy rain to clear the tree.
Ms Tin said: “Given this is a wet season, I have also asked the town council to work with the horticultural contractor and relevant agencies to do another thorough check on the trees in our constituency, to do our best to enhance safety for our residents.”
Showers drenched Singapore on Saturday because of a monsoon surge.
This came after the island experienced its wettest February day on record on Feb 28 due to the same weather phenomena.
In Admiralty, the mercury plummeted to as low as 21.6 deg C.
Rainy conditions are set to persist in the first week of March, with thundery showers in the afternoon on most days, according to the weatherman.

 

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‘It sounded like a building collapsing’: Fallen tree pins cars at Sultan Gate​

A fallen tree pinned three cars along Sultan Gate at about 11 am. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Elaine Lee

Mar 8, 2023

SINGAPORE - After enjoying breakfast with his wife at Kampong Glam on Wednesday morning, Mr Abdul Hamed received a rude shock when he returned to his parked car along Sultan Gate to find it pinned by a fallen tree.
“I have never parked at this area before because it was always full,” said the 56-year-old crew manager and depot controller. “But it was especially empty today so I took my chance, and this had to happen.”
The rear windscreen and left signal light of his brown Tivoli were damaged by the large fallen tree, which also landed on two other cars. No injuries were reported from the incident, which happened around 11am.
“Now, I have to take urgent leave to send the car to repair. But I’m also grateful that my car was not as badly hit as the other, which was between mine and the last car,” said Mr Abdul Hamed.
Mr Sonny Wee, who has been selling hand drums across the road for about 15 years, witnessed the incident and described it as sounding like “a building collapse”.
“I have seen broken branches around the area, but this is my first time witnessing a tree trunk falling,” said the 71-year-old. “I consider myself quite lucky. If the tree had fallen sideways, it could have hit my shop and myself.”
Another eyewitness, Mr Hassan Mohd Amin, said he had observed some young children playing near the tree just before it fell.

“I suddenly heard someone shouting and the next thing I knew, the kids were running all over the place,” said the 59-year-old, who was in a stationary car and waiting for a lot.
“They probably realised that the tree was moving... I later heard a loud cracking sound, and the next thing I saw was that the tree were on top of the three cars that were next to it. Thankfully, only the cars were damaged and no one was hurt.”
The Straits Times has contacted the National Parks Board for more information.

 

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Passenger trapped after huge tree pins car on PIE, another tree falls on shophouse in Tiong Bahru​

The passenger trapped in the car by the fallen tree on the PIE had to be rescued by two men. PHOTOS: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER

Ang Qing

July 2, 2023

SINGAPORE – A tree near the exit of Toa Payoh Lorong 2 fell and pinned a car on the Pan Island Expressway towards Changi on Sunday morning.
A passenger was trapped in the green car by the fallen tree and had to be rescued by two men, reported Chinese-language media outlet Shin Min Daily News.
In pictures circulating on Facebook and Telegram, one of the rescuers appeared to have abrasions.
There were no reported injuries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said.
The yellow flame tree fell at about 6am on the expressway and obstructed traffic across all four lanes towards Changi, Shin Min reported.

A yellow flame tree fell at around 6am on Sunday on the PIE and obstructed traffic across all four lanes towards Changi. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER
Three bus services – 5, 151 and 154 – had to be diverted from their regular routes for more than an hour, according to tweets by bus operator SBS Transit.
The tree was cleared by 8.10am.

This is the second large tree to have toppled in the past three days.
On Friday, a tree in Tiong Bahru fell on the roof of a shophouse at 82 Tiong Poh Road at about 5.15pm. It also crushed the air conditioning unit of Drips Bakery Cafe, which is on the first floor of the shophouse.
A staff member of Ting Heng Seafood Restaurant next to the cafe told Shin Min there was no rain or strong winds when the tree fell.

The 54-year-old, who identified herself only as Ms Xie, said the tree fell without warning and its loud crash frightened the restaurant’s staff and customers. She said: “We’ve been operating here for close to 20 years. When we opened, the large tree was already there. We estimate that it’s at least 30 years old.”
Ms Xie said about 30 police and SCDF officers arrived at the scene after the tree fell. She suspected a gas leak might have occurred in the restaurant because the tree fell at the back of the shophouse.

A tree in Tiong Bahru fell on Friday and crushed the air conditioning unit of Drips Bakery Cafe and the roof of a shophouse at 82 Tiong Poh Road. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER
Responding to queries, the SCDF said it received a call about the incident at around 5.40pm and its firefighters detected the presence of combustible gas on the second floor of the shophouse.
“The source of the gas leak was identified to be from a gas pipeline and the gas supply was shut off,” said the SCDF. There were no reported injuries, it added.
Customers had to be evacuated from the restaurant until it resumed operations at about 7pm, Ms Xie added.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
I thought I was going to die: Driver recounts close shave with tree that fell across Tiong Bahru Road
One person injured after tree falls across Tiong Bahru Road, damaging walkway and car
She said that removal of the tree began on Saturday at about 10am, and she was told that clearing works would continue until Monday.
Other trees nearby also had to be removed for safety reasons, she added.
Three large trees in the area had been cut down by Sunday morning, Shin Min reported.

Three large trees in the area had been cut down by Sunday morning, Shin Min reported. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
A staff member at Drips Bakery Cafe, who wanted to be known as Mr Yang, told Shin Min the tree had crushed its kitchen, and an air-conditioning filter in its dining area collapsed as well. Both areas were subsequently cordoned off.
While the kitchen’s closure prevented the cafe from preparing food, it was open for business on Saturday selling coffee and pastries, said Mr Yang, 28.
He said: “Renovations for the kitchen had just been completed in January – who knew that such an accident would happen. As for the losses, we have to wait for the evaluation.”
The Straits Times has contacted the National Parks Board with queries.

 

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14 trees in Changi Beach Park uprooted in thunderstorm on April 16​

The uprooted trees include native coastal species like the yellow flame and the Indian beech. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Chin Hui Shan

APR 20, 2023


SINGAPORE – Fourteen trees in Changi Beach Park were uprooted and at least six others were damaged in a thunderstorm on Sunday.
The National Parks Board (NParks) told The Straits Times that it was alerted to the uprooted and damaged trees due to extremely bad weather around 4pm on Sunday. There were no reported injuries.
NParks is now in the process of removing these trees.
The uprooted trees include native coastal species like the yellow flame – a popular roadside tree that can grow up to 20m tall – and the Indian beech, which can grow up to 25m tall.
Mr Chia Seng Jiang, NParks’ group director for Parks East, said obstructions to park tracks have been cleared.
“The remaining trees in the park have been inspected and those that may affect public safety are being removed,” he added.
For public safety, NParks advises members of the public to avoid entering parks, nature reserves and forested areas during and immediately after bad weather, and to seek cover at the nearest shelter available.

Twenty trees are being removed after more than a dozen trees at Changi Beach Park were uprooted due to extremely bad weather on Sunday. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
For urgent tree failure cases, members of the public can contact NParks on 1800-471-7300 or via www.nparks.gov.sg/feedback, or through the OneService app at www.oneservice.sg.
In March, two people suffered minor injuries after a 7m-tall tree which was last visually assessed to be healthy in September 2022 fell on two cars in Dempsey.

Fourteen trees at Changi Beach Park were uprooted and at least six others were damaged after a thunderstorm on Sunday. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Warm weather will persist in the second half of April, with temperatures expected to rise to 34 deg C in the afternoon on most days, said the weatherman.
However, short-duration thundery showers are also expected over parts of Singapore on most afternoons due to strong daytime heating of land areas.

 

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those around Dover conservation area and the Ridout haunted mansions not counted? So many trees have fallen and have been felled there

 

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Passers-by help people stuck in vehicles hit by fallen tree in Tanjong Katong Road​

A 20-m tall tree fell and obstructed Tanjong Katong Road on Sunday afternoon. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Kolette Lim

Sep 11, 2023

SINGAPORE - Community spirit was on display on Sunday afternoon when passers-by banded together to help drivers and passengers stuck in several vehicles that were hit by a fallen tree at a road junction.
The 20m-tall tree had fallen in front of City Plaza mall before the traffic junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Geylang Road just before 1pm.
In videos taken in the aftermath of the incident, at least four vehicles, including a small lorry, are seen covered by tree branches.
The halted traffic caused a jam along the two-lane road.
In the videos, about 10 people are seen moving branches to the side of the road, while others help affected drivers and passengers out of their vehicles and control the traffic, despite the rain.
Mr Vic Cienca, 48, said he was about to drive forward when a tree branch fell onto the hood of his car, causing his wife to cry in shock, reported Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance in Tanjong Katong Road at 12.55pm on Sunday.

A man sustained minor injuries but declined to be taken to hospital.
Road clearance works by SCDF personnel ended at about 4.30pm, according to Zaobao.
The tree was privately managed by City Plaza mall.
A management employee of the mall told The Straits Times that no one has filed an insurance claim yet.
No noticeable disruptions were observed in the mall, he added.

 

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Traffic snarl-up on highways and roads due to accidents including tree falling on car​

In photos circulating online, a tree is seen to have fallen on a white Kia Sorento car and blocking at least three lanes. PHOTO: SG ROAD VIGILANTE - SGRV/FACEBOOK

Chin Hui Shan

JUL 20, 2023

SINGAPORE – Rush-hour traffic slowed to a crawl in some parts of Singapore on Wednesday morning due to a number of highway and road incidents amid a heavy downpour.
Motorists travelling on the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) were caught in a snarl-up after a tree fell right outside a CTE tunnel in the Orchard Road area.
In photos circulating online, a tree had apparently fallen on a white Kia Sorento car and was blocking at least three lanes.
Another video of the incident shows at least 10 motorists waiting on the road in the rain.
The Land Transport Authority said on Twitter at 9.32am there was an accident in the CTE tunnel towards AYE before the Orchard Road exit, with congestion stretching till the Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 exit. It added that the CTE tunnel was closed before the Orchard Road exit.
All three lanes were closed after the tree fell. Lane 1 and Lane 2 reopened at about 10.30am, while Lane 3 reopened at about 4.30pm.
A tree also fell in Serangoon Road near the Tekka Market, according to a photo posted in a Facebook group on Wednesday.

Replying to queries, the National Parks Board (NParks) said it was alerted to two incidents of uprooted trees at about 9.30am, “during heavy rain with strong gusts of winds of up to 65kmh”.
A Senegal mahogany tree – which is fast-growing and can grow to more than 30m in height – on state land between Kramat Road and Cairnhill Circle fell on the CTE.
A candle nut tree – which typically has a large and wide-spreading crown – fell in Serangoon Road.

NParks added that there were no reported injuries in both incidents and the obstructions at both locations were cleared at about 10.30am.
According to the National Environment Agency’s Meteorological Service Singapore website, there was 36.4mm of rainfall in Newton since midnight, with more than 20mm of rainfall between 9am and 9.59am.
The weatherman on Monday said that the weather for the rest of July would be drier than it had been in the first half of the month, with warm conditions expected.
However, the Met Service added that short-duration thundery showers are expected between the late morning and afternoon over parts of the island on some days.
The weatherman also said below-average rainfall is expected for the rest of the month.

In a separate accident, 11 people were taken to hospital after an accident involving a lorry and a car along the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway towards Tampines Expressway before the Buangkok exit.
The police, who were alerted at about 7.45am, said 10 passengers – aged between 22 and 42 – from the lorry and a 23-year-old female passenger in the car were conscious when taken to hospital.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force, which was alerted at about 7.50am, said five people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Changi General Hospital each, and one person was taken to Sengkang General Hospital.
A video of the accident circulating online shows an overturned Toyota lorry on the leftmost lane and a black car with a damaged bonnet. At least four ambulances, one police car and one fire engine are also spotted at the scene in the video.
Meanwhile, a photo circulating online shows the badly damaged bonnet of a black car in the rain.
Police investigations are ongoing.

 

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Tree falls on car on SLE; one person taken to hospital​

Footage uploaded online showed the tree falling and hitting a black car, obstructing the outermost lane of the SLE near the Woodlands Avenue 2 exit. PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM SG ROAD VIGILANTE/YOUTUBE
Ang Qing and Wallace Woon

Sep 14, 2023

SINGAPORE - A tree on a road divider suddenly came crashing down on a passing car on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Wednesday, missing by a few seconds three motorcycles that were following close behind.
In response to queries, a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman said it received a call for help at about 7.10pm.
The car was heading in the direction of the Bukit Timah Expressway when the tree fell on it, before the Woodlands Avenue 2 exit.
One person was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the SCDF spokesman added.
On footage uploaded on the SG Road Vigilante YouTube channel, the tree can be seen hitting a black car as it falls, and obstructing the outermost lane of the SLE. Three motorcycles can then be seen avoiding the fallen tree.
Some distance away, the driver of the black car switches the car’s hazard lights on and the car slows down.


Separately, a 63-year-old driver was taken to hospital on Thursday after an accident on Choa Chu Kang Way that left his car overturned.

SCDF was alerted to the accident at about 6.50am.
The man was conscious when taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the police and SCDF said in a statement.

A 63-year-old driver was taken to hospital after an accident in Choa Chu Kang Way on Sept 14. PHOTO: SGFOLLOWSALL/INSTAGRAM
In dashcam footage from a passing vehicle uploaded on sgfollowsall’s Instagram account, a fire engine and an ambulance can be seen at the right-most lane of the road near a mangled car that had flipped upside down.
The police are investigating the accident.

 

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Fallen tree in Ophir Road pins car, crushes cab of pickup truck​

A fallen tree pinned a lorry and a car in Ophir Road, on Sep 21, 2023. PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

Fatimah Mujibah

Sep 22, 2023

SINGAPORE – A large tree fell in Ophir Road on Thursday, pinning a pickup truck and a car and obstructing all five lanes of traffic.
The accident occurred at around 7pm amid heavy rain, with several people on social media warning others of a traffic jam.
In one video, a white car and a grey pickup truck, with its cab caved in, can be seen.
When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at about 8.20pm, the fallen tree had been cleared from most of the road, although two lanes remained obstructed.
Construction workers, and Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers were seen on site.
The pickup truck was towed away at about 8.30pm.
Responding to ST’s queries, the SCDF said it received a call for assistance at about 6.35pm on Thursday.

Upon the SCDF’s arrival, a pickup truck was seen trapped under a fallen tree.
“With the assistance from a nearby lorry crane, the tree was lifted from the pickup truck, while the SCDF rescued a person trapped at the driver’s seat of the pickup truck,” said the SCDF.
The SCDF then took the rescued person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Before the SCDF arrived, two other people in the front cabin of the pickup truck and another person in the rear deck of the vehicle had managed to evacuate the truck.
Those two people who had evacuated from the front cabin were taken to Raffles Hospital.

 

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No one injured after termite-infested tree falls near playground in Woodlands​

Sembawang Town Council was informed of the incident just after 9.20pm on Friday night. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER

Wallace Woon

Sep 30, 2023

SINGAPORE - Admiralty residents celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival got a scare when a tree fell near a playground on Friday night. There were no reported injuries.
Sembawang GRC MP Poh Li San told The Straits Times that the Sembawang Town Council was informed of the incident just after 9.20pm on Friday night.
Ms Poh said the tree had signs of internal decay and a termite infestation, according to an arborist who checked the fallen tree.
She said: “Our half-yearly inspection was not able to detect any problems with this tree as no visible termite trail could be seen on its trunk and also no signs of dieback or defoliation.”
Dieback is the gradual deterioration of health in trees, sometimes leading to tree death, while defoliation is the process of leaves falling off a plant.
Ms Poh added that the town council has engaged an arborist as well as a pest control team to check trees in the surrounding area for signs of termites and to treat them accordingly.
“We will continue to monitor the trees in the estate in the next few months, especially with the strong winds during the year-end monsoon period. Safety is our top priority and we will take all precautions to prevent such a reoccurrence,” she said.

Eyewitnesses told Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News that as the Mid-Autumn Festival fell on Friday, many children and their parents were out walking with lanterns at the playground.
Mr Zhuang said he was in his home when he heard a loud noise outside his window.
The 44-year-old said: “I quickly looked out of the balcony and saw a tree falling downstairs. There were a group of children and adults in the playground at the time. Fortunately, no one was hit.”

The tree had signs of internal decay and a termite infestation, according to an arborist who checked the fallen tree. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
Other residents whom Shin Min spoke to said when the tree fell, there was no strong wind or heavy rain.
A 66-year-old private hire driver who gave his name only as Manny said he saw termites crawling out of the tree’s trunk and stump after the incident.

 

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Fallen tree on Nicoll Highway blocks all 3 lanes towards National Stadium​

The LTA said that the highway was closed after Java Road. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Fatimah Mujibah

MAR 07, 2024

SINGAPORE – Traffic was backed up on Nicoll Highway on the evening of March 7 after a fallen tree blocked all three lanes of the road leading to the Singapore Sports Hub.
The Land Transport Authority posted on X at 6.45pm that there was an obstacle on Nicoll Highway, towards Guillemard, and after Java Road.
It added that the highway was closed after Java Road.
When The Straits Times visited the scene at around 7.30pm, traffic was seen being diverted to Beach Road through Java Road.
In photos shared on a Telegram group on traffic news, a large tree near Golden Mile Tower can be seen obstructing traffic.
A fleet of cars and some motorcycles can be seen behind the tree. A few people can also be seen standing near the tree with umbrellas to shelter themselves from the rain.
Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that the fallen tree had hit three cars, including a black private-hire car.

The private-hire driver told Zaobao that he was ferrying a passenger towards Joo Chiat through Nicoll Highway when he suddenly heard a loud sound, before his vehicle was hit by the fallen tree trunk.
He added that both he and his passenger were not injured, but were momentarily stuck in the car until a group of migrant workers helped to clear the branches and trunk so that they could get out.
Additionally, bus operator SBS Transit posted on X at 7.13pm, saying that services 10, 10e, 14, 14e, 16, 70/ 70M, 196 and 196e were being diverted from Nicoll Highway, with three bus stops (80151, 80161 and 80211) being skipped due to a fallen tree.
The incident took place on the evening of American pop star Taylor Swift’s fourth show in Singapore at the National Stadium, which is located at the Sports Hub.
She is slated to perform there twice more, on March 8 and 9. Swift typically comes on stage at around 7.15pm.
This is a developing story.