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.

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

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