Huge Tembusu tree crashes at Singapore Botanic Gardens, killing one and injuring four
A huge Tembusu tree fell at the Singapore Botanic Gardens at about 4.30pm on Saturday. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
SINGAPORE: What began as a stroll in the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Saturday took a horrific turn when a 40m tembusu heritage tree crashed onto unsuspecting visitors, leaving one Indian national dead and four other people injured, including children.
Jonathan Ang, 29, who was sitting 30m away, described a cracking noise that "sounded like thunder" at about 4.25pm. Just seconds later, the tree hit the ground, bringing down nearby palm trees.
The tree, which was more than 270 years old, landed on a woman from India, pinning her face down. Her husband, a French national, whose head was bleeding after being hit by branches, was heard shouting for his wife.
Other visitors rushed to her aid. "One, two, three push," they shouted as they heaved the tree off her. When it did roll away, Mr Ang saw the victim's limp body and her husband sitting in shock by her side. By then, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers had arrived and the crowd was dispersed.
The site of the crash was about 30m away from the the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage, where preparations were taking place for a concert to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary. The crash happened just half an hour before the start of the concert.
Singapore police said in a statement: "The police confirm that the deceased was a 38-year-old female Indian national who was there with her family. Her husband, a 39-year-old French national and their two children both aged one ... sustained injuries. A 26-year-old female Singaporean was also injured in the incident."
NParks, which manages the Gardens, said: "We are investigating the cause of the tree fall. It was last inspected in September last year and was found to be healthy."
The tembusu tree predates the establishment of the Gardens, which was founded in 1859, and became Singapore's first World Heritage Site in 2015.
"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," NParks said.
It added that its first priority was to help the families of the victims.
Visitors to the park were left shocked by the incident.
Artist Tina Fung, 34, had produced an art installation that was supposed to have been unveiled at the Canada 150 event yesterday. Describing the aftermath of the tree fall, she said: "Two guys had scratches on their legs, and there was a lady they were trying to resuscitate.
"It looked pretty serious."
Esther Ho, who is in her early 50s and semi-retired, was at the Gardens for the concert. She said: "I am surprised to see a tree with such deep roots fall. I had never heard of this happening before."
Said Ang: "It was so unexpected that a tree with such deep roots could suddenly uproot itself."
Dr Shawn Lum, a botany expert from the Nanyang Technological University's Asian School of the Environment, said a possible, but unlikely, reason for the tree uprooting could be that rot or a fungal infection had occurred in its root area, causing it to weaken.
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 yesterday's gusty winds could also have been a factor, he said.
The country's National Environment Agency had forecast that it would be occasionally windy yesterday, with passing showers in the afternoon.
Dr Lum 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 today and yesterday, it could be that the slope gave way first rather than the tree itself."
What caused the tree to uproot still remains to be seen, said Dr Lum, but it is something that could not have been anticipated.
In a Facebook statement, police advised members of the public to stay away from the site to facilitate rescue work by the Singapore Police Force and the SCDF, which sent two fire engines, one Red Rhino, one Fire Bike, four ambulances and two support vehicles to the scene.
All remaining programmes at the Gardens on Saturday were cancelled. But NParks said the Gardens will remain open Sunday.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in a Facebook post Saturday night: "What a terrible accident. Our deepest sympathies to the family of the person who was killed by the falling tembusu tree at the Botanic Gardens this afternoon. Hope the four others injured will recover soon." - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2017/02/12/tree-falls-at-singapore-botanic-gardens/#zbY6Cd3RmoRDvKgb.99
