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3 people taken to hospital after tree falls in Ghim Moh

This article is more than 12 months old

A large tree in the compound of Ulu Pandan Community Club in Ghim Moh Road fell and trapped two people on Saturday (Aug 20) evening. 

A third person was found injured nearby.

They were conscious and in a stable condition when they were taken to the National University Hospital, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). It was alerted to the incident at around 5.55pm.

“Rescuers had to lower themselves down a steep slope and make their way through some vegetation to reach the incident site,” said SCDF.

Its emergency medical specialists were on-site to monitor the vital signs of the victims when the tree was cut. K9 search dogs were used to check if there were other victims.

It is not known why the tree fell, and how it ended up down a steep slope. When contacted, a spokesman at Ulu Pandan CC said: “We are currently working to establish the facts of the incident.”

Rescuers from SCDF and the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team ensured the stability of the fallen tree before freeing those trapped. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

 

The Sunday Times understands that the fallen tree is an African Mahogany. Introduced to Singapore in the late 1970s, they can grow to a height of up to 60m. They have thick trunks and buttress roots and can be spotted along most expressways.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza said:. “My immediate concern is the three people who were affected.” He added that he would be visiting them in hospital.

On Feb 20, a man was pinned in the driver's seat after a tree fell on his car. He narrowly missed being impaled by two branches, which broke through his windscreen. At the time of the incident, there was a thunderstorm.

On Feb 18 last year, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her in Marsiling Park. She was pronounced dead before SCDF officers could rescue her.

The National Parks Board said it was a 20m-tall Araucaria excelsa tree. The tree was found to be healthy at its last inspection in April 2020.

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