Tree in Serangoon North uprooted during heavy rain, falls on sheltered, open walkways: ‘Thankful no one was hurt’
The heavy rainfall on Nov 6 led to flash flood risk warnings across parts of Singapore.
In Serangoon North, the stormy weather appeared to have uprooted a massive tree, which caught new resident and Stomper Mrs Low by surprise.
The 46-year-old teacher was walking near Block 542 Serangoon North Avenue 4 at about 2.40pm when she spotted the shocking sight.
It got her worried about the safety and sturdiness of trees in the area.
Serangoon North tree falls on sheltered and open walkways
Mrs Low was in Serangoon North checking on the renovation progress at her new home when she saw a large fallen tree lying horizontally on the ground, with its roots completely exposed.
As it was raining heavily at the time, she suspected that the tree could have been uprooted due to the inclement weather.
“A number of workers doing the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) were around. They may have witnessed the fall and seemed shocked,” said the Stomper.
Photos show leaves, stems, and soil scattered everywhere, with parts of the tree resting on top of a sheltered walkway and on the ground, blocking an open walkway in the middle of some blocks of flats.
Mrs Low also recalled detecting the strong smell of fresh leaves amid the debris.
“If there had been no rain, people might have walked on the open walkway and...,” she added, implying a worse outcome if the weather had been better.
She estimated that the tree stood as high as the fifth floor prior to its fall.
‘Very weak foundation for such a big tree’
Besides the shock from witnessing the aftermath, Mrs Low expressed her relief that there were no injuries: “Thankful no one was hurt.”
However, she had questions about the tree's sturdiness, noting how shallow the roots looked, judging by the scattered soil. “Very weak foundation for such a big tree,” she remarked.
As she had just purchased a unit in the vicinity, Mrs Low conveyed her concern about safety.
She claimed that she heard a “sawing sound” at about 3.50pm, which led her to believe that workers had begun moving the debris of the fallen tree.
In response to a Stomp query, an Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) spokesperson confirmed that it is aware of the fallen tree: “AMKTC is aware of the uprooted tree incident near Block 542 Serangoon North Avenue 4 today. Our arboriculture team was activated upon receiving the report, and the fallen tree has been removed. Fortunately, no injury was reported.”
Stomp has also reached out to NParks for comment.
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