Ho Ching Road half-century-old tree falls, branches smash HDB block's corridors

The accident was believed to be due to the storm that afternoon.

Amber Tay | June 29, 2024, 06:26 PM

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Six floors of Block 114 Ho Ching Road were affected after a tree was uprooted at around 2pm on Jun. 28.

The accident was believed to be due to the storm that afternoon.

Six floors affected due to fallen tree

Residents told Shin Min Daily News that the tree seemed a little crooked a few days before the accident, though they did not expect it to fall, and it was the first time they had encountered a tree falling in their neighbourhood.

35-year-old Zhang, a resident on the second floor, told the reporter that she had just picked up her six-year-old daughter from school when the incident happened.

Not long after they entered their flat, they heard a loud noise which "sounded like a whole building collapsing".

Zhang claimed that if they had walked into the house a little later, the branches might have hit them.

First to sixth floor of HDB affected by fallen tree

The first to the sixth floor of Blk 114 Ho Ching Road were reportedly affected by the fallen tree, with branches and leaves covering the corridors of the affected floors.

A photo provided by Zhang showed the entrance of the second-floor corridor filled with the tree's branches and leaves.

Photo via Shin Min Daily News

The tree is believed to be over 50 years old, with a 56-year-old resident telling Shin Min that the tree was already there when he moved in as a two to three years old toddler.

The fallen tree is shown to take up most of the field in front of the HDB block.

Photo via Shin Min Daily News

Staff were seen helping to clear the branches from HDB corridors

A crane was brought to the site of the accident, where branches of the tree had to be sawed into smaller pieces to be carried onto the vehicle.

Photo via Shin Min Daily News

Staff were also seen helping to clear the branches away from affected floors.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News.