Watch out! Falling tree in Sembawang Park nearly hits 5-year-old girl

A family enjoying some time outdoors last Sunday (Dec 5) had a close shave with a tree that fell near their picnic spot in Sembawang Park.

A 41-year-old man told Shin Min Daily News that it nearly hit his five-year-old daughter that afternoon. They had been playing with a ball near the tree at the time.

"When my daughter went to retrieve the ball from a spot near the tree, we heard a snapping sound. Two seconds later, the tree fell," he said.

Despite the scare, the girl was unharmed.

Her father took a closer look at the fallen tree and noticed a rotting trunk.

Some workers who were cutting grass in the vicinity cleared the branches from the fallen tree and barricaded the area.

"My eight-year-old son was also frightened by this incident," the man said, adding that the family will not return to the park anytime soon.

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In response to AsiaOne's queries, NParks said on Tuesday that they were alerted to a fallen Indian Rosewood at Sembawang Park at around 3.30pm on Dec 5. 

"There was no damage or injury and the tree, which was around six to nine metres tall with a girth of 1.4m, was cleared by 6pm."

NParks added that trees are generally inspected once in six to 24 months, with a higher frequency depending on their locality and age. Trees are also regularly pruned to improve their structure and balance.

A 38-year-old woman was killed by a fallen tree in Marsiling Park in February. About 10 passers-by tried to help the woman by lifting the tree but she had to be freed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force using cutting equipment.

In 2017, a falling tembusu tree at the Singapore Botanic Gardens killed another 38-year-old woman, and also injured her husband and two children.

AsiaOne has contacted NParks for more information.

claudiatan@asiaone.com