Several students on bikes were nearly hit by a falling tree on a rainy night

SINGAPORE: A big tree uprooted by strong winds and rain at Jalan Besar nearly fell on a group of secondary school students cycling at night. 

The accident happened next to ARC 380, a commercial building located in Jalan Besar. As seen from the photos provided by the people who reported the incident, a large tree about two storeys high fell on the sidewalk because of a broken trunk. 

A 33-year-old eyewitness said the incident happened when it suddenly started raining heavily. He heard a loud noise and initially thought it was thunder. However, he later found out that it was the big tree falling. 

The man said that about four people riding bicycles were almost hit by the tree, and it seemed they were a group of middle school students. He added that, as it was raining, they were riding very fast and, because of this, avoided being hit by the tree. 

“About two seconds after they passed by, the tree fell down,” the man shared. 

Moreover, the group of students rode to a place to shelter themselves from the rain. The man heard them screaming that they almost got hit, which made him feel terrified. 

When a reporter from Shin Min Daily News visited the area, a security guard revealed that the management had already reported the incident to the authorities. 

Falling trees in Singapore

Singapore is known to be one of the greenest cities worldwide, with approximately 40% of its area covered in greenery. Organisations such as the town councils or the National Parks Board (NParks) maintain these green areas. 

Even though these green areas are cared for all year round, accidents from falling branches and trees can still happen. 

If an individual wants to claim compensation for damage suffered due to a falling tree, the claim should be made against the organisation responsible for the tree’s maintenance. 

For trees located on public property, who is responsible depends on where the tree is located. Generally, NParks is responsible for trees located within public parks, national parks, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park, nature reserves, green buffers on heritage roads, tree conservation areas, and vacant public property. 

Additionally, for trees located within the common property in housing estates, the respective town council or the Housing and Development Board may be responsible.