'They may fall any time': Bedok residents anxious over 5-storey-tall trees leaning towards blocks

We may not know if a tree makes a sound when it falls in a forest, but residents are sure to know if one's about to fall beside their HDB block.

Some residents over at Block 712 and 713 Bedok Reservoir Road have expressed concern at just that after they noticed that some five-storey-tall fir trees by their buildings have begun to lean, Shin Min Daily News reported on Thursday (Sept 21).

"If there is a storm, they may fall any time," resident Chen, 50, told the Chinese daily.

She added that one of the trees towers over a nearby kindergarten - and should the tree fall, the consequences would be devastating.

"We can't just think that because it hasn't happened, it wouldn't happen in the future," Chen said. "Preventative measures must be taken."

However, she doesn't want these trees to be completely felled. Instead, she just hopes if they can be pruned to shorten it, to minimise the danger from any of them falling. 

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Another resident surnamed Li, 46, told Shin Min that these trees have weathered many storms over several years despite being tilted.

"These fir trees can provide shade. If there really is some kind of danger, I hope that authorities can prune the trees, but don't chop them down entirely," Li echoed.

A Shin Min reporter who visited the scene noted that there were approximately seven trees in the area that were about five-storey tall, with two of them leaning at an angle.

Responding via email to queries from Shin Min, the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council assured that these trees had undergone prior inspections by certified arborists.

These inspections had reportedly taken place between April and May this year, and results showed that the trees were healthy and at a low risk of falling.

They also emphasised that these checks occur regularly and that bent or leaning trunks are not necessarily indicative of a tree's health.

However, they have commissioned arborists to conduct another round of inspections on the trees in question.

Resident Zhang, 60, told Shin Min that authorities had sent people to cut down a tree in August last year.

"As far as I know, someone complained that the tree posed a safety hazard, so authorities had people cut down half of the tree."

'Glass shards were covering the entire kitchen floor'

Back in April 2019, stormy weather caused an eight-storey-tall tree to come crashing down, smashing into an HDB block in the Old Airport Road area.

Lai, 66, told The New Paper then that she heard a loud crashing sound as she was getting ready for the day ahead.

She rushed to the kitchen where the sound originated from, and was shocked to find her kitchen window shattered.

"The glass shards were covering the entire kitchen floor," she said.

The Marine Parade Town Council (MPTC) immediately activated their horticulture contractor when they learned about the situation.

They then liaised with the affected residents assisted them in repairing the damage, according to an MPTC spokesperson.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com