Termite-infested tree falls near playground in Woodlands, no one injured

Termite-infested tree falls near playground in Woodlands, no one injured
Sembawang Town Council was informed of the incident just after 9.20pm on Friday night.
PHOTO: Shin Min Daily News

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.

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

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.”

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.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

homepage

trending

trending
    Singaporean doctor faces new charges for allegedly filming hundreds of coworkers in Melbourne hospital toilets
    Why I said 'I do' at 26 — even before most of my friends thought about it
    Tanjong Katong Road South closed indefinitely for repairs following sinkhole, bus services diverted
    Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024
    Car falls into Tanjong Katong sinkhole, driver taken to hospital
    Singapore has laid the groundwork, no problems in having nuclear energy : IAEA chief
    Thai-Cambodian fighting extends into third day despite ceasefire calls
    From green to brown: Tanah Merah, Expo and Changi Airport MRT stations to be converted to TEL stations
    'They don't gaslight you': Why some Singaporean women like to spend on these virtual men
    Operation targeting delivery trucks yields 3 tonnes of illegally imported produce from Malaysia
    Woman, 64, prevented from being scammed out of $300k by OCBC and police
    Shinee's Taemin wants to 'create new memories' with fans at Waterbomb Singapore 2025

Singapore

Singapore
    • Ex-inmate featured in documentary on Changi's maximum security prison returns to court to face fresh charges
    • Teenager caught with vapes 5 times sentenced to 2 years at Singapore Boys’ Home
    • Singapore-registered cars must have COE of over 6 months to apply for VEP, says Malaysian transport minister
    • 'Please help us seek the truth': Sister pleads for eyewitnesses after brother dies in accident on CTE
    • Almost half of planned 30,000 flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat
    • Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA
    • Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp
    • Unwell firefighter taken to hospital after kitchen fire at Boon Lay flat
    • Singapore urges 'restraint' in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute; calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
    • 'Please don't believe it': Hougang resident harassed for 2 years after address mistaken as Kpods pickup point

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • The Fantastic Four: First Steps delves into themes of found family, with 'combination of domesticity and the intergalactic cosmos'
    • 'I want to be an independent senior': Xiang Yun on ageing positively and not relying on children
    • Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang revealed to have been executed for murder of 16-year-old girlfriend
    • Coldplay might have exposed tech CEO's alleged affair during concert
    • Gwyneth Paltrow stars in Astronomer ad after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video
    • Cai Xukun, I-dle, Jam Hsiao: Singapore concert calendar for 2025
    • Florida police launch medical investigation into Hulk Hogan's death
    • Vanessa Kirby on filming Avengers movie while pregnant: 'The coolest thing'
    • Trump, McMahon and Undertaker pay tribute to Hulk Hogan
    • Grammy-winning jazz musician Chuck Mangione dies at 84

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Michelin Guide Singapore 2025: Sushi Sakuta promoted to 2 stars, 1 restaurant earns its first star
    • Wedding ang bao rates in Singapore (July 2025): How much should you give?
    • From Paris to Raffles Place: Singaporean-founded deli Nonette opens pop-up, here's what you should try
    • Digital nomad in JB: Can Singaporeans really work from across the Causeway?
    • BYD Sealion 6 rolls into Singapore
    • Prostate cancer among most common cancers in Singaporean men - is it preventable?
    • Nasi padang chain Hjh Maimunah to introduce colour-coded price labels
    • New glamping experience in Mandai starts in August, here's what Colugo Camp has to offer
    • 'How dare you': YouTubers call out London stall for selling 'fake Malaysian food'
    • Queen Elizabeth's fashion looks to go on display in new London exhibition

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • China's Premier Li proposes global AI co-operation organisation
    • Elon Musk's Starlink network suffers rare global outage
    • Spy cockroaches and AI robots: Germany plots the future of warfare
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement

Money

Money
    • Up 4.3%: Singapore's economy grew in Q2 despite US tariff fears
    • How to claim travel insurance? A comprehensive beginner's guide (2025)
    • Britain and India sign free trade pact during Modi visit
    • HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kick in
    • US-Philippines trade talks yield modest tariff shift after Trump-Marcos meeting
    • Indonesia to cut tariffs, non-tariff barriers in US trade deal
    • US, China to discuss tariff deadline extension as Trump reaches Philippines deal
    • Trump says trade deal struck with Japan includes 15% tariff
    • 10 best savings accounts in Singapore with the highest interest rates (July 2025)
    • US Senate passes aid, public broadcasting cuts in victory for Trump

Latest

Latest
  • 4 Malaysian immigration officers at JB-Singapore checkpoint arrested over 'flying passport' scheme
  • Russia starts first Moscow-Pyongyang passenger flights in decades
  • Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
  • Australia's PM says easing of curbs on US beef not prompted by Trump
  • Taiwan move to recall opposition lawmakers fails
  • This family self-deported to Mexico, and lost everything
  • 54 children swim from Morocco to Spanish enclave Ceuta
  • Canada condemns Hong Kong arrest warrants targeting pro-democracy activists
  • North Korea's Kim vows to win anti-US battle marking Korean War anniversary

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Toddler wanders out of home in Selangor, mauled by stray dogs
  • 'I was embarrassed': Malaysian security guard in viral knockout by MMA coach 'thankful' he wasn't fired
  • Mid-air brawl erupts on AirAsia X flight from KL to Chengdu over loud conversation
  • Cat A COE prices remain unchanged in second bidding exercise for July 2025
  • Robber drops gun and misfires after failed clinic robbery in JB
  • $30 one-off cash handout, petrol price cut: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim announces measures to tackle living costs
  • 'I felt helpless': Female tourist claims she was sexually harassed by ice cream vendor in Turkey
  • Unhealthy air quality in Malaysia, NEA warns of potential transboundary haze
  • School van in JB overturns after hitting uncovered manhole, 16 students injured
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.