Two trees fall in Sembawang Park where SMRT staff were having Christmas party, 14 taken to hospital

WONG PEI TING Today Online 21 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE — Two trees fell at Sembawang Park amid heavy rain on Thursday (Dec 20). One of the trees fell on a pavilion, causing the roof to crash on a private Christmas party involving 17 SMRT employees.

And while nobody was trapped under it, 14 people who suffered injuries had to be taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The incident took place at about 5.30pm along Beaulieu Road, which is near a playground in the park, which borders the sea.

The National Parks Board said two trees were uprooted during the incident — one was an 18m tall Tabebuia rosea, the other a 21m tall Erythrophleum suaveolens.

It was the latter than fell on the pavillion.

When TODAY visited the scene, workers were observed cutting up the trees and trying to clear the area amid a drizzle.

At a nearby sheltered walkway, where remains of the party were brought to, there were unwrapped presents that appeared damaged, a partially-smashed chocolate log cake and an unwrapped bundle of ham.

Clumps of tissues and used bandages, which had been stained with blood, were also strewn in the area.

The three remaining SMRT staff who were not sent to hospital were still seated at the park, emotional from what had happened to 14 of their colleagues.

One of them, a woman, was contemplating if she should head to the hospital at about 9.30pm as she still appeared shaken.

A man in his 40s who only wanted to be known as Mr Lee said his wife fainted and suffered a head injury from the incident.

His wife’s head now has a bump “as big as a fist”, he said, adding that some of his wife’s other colleagues had to get stitches, while another had a dislocated arm.

Angry with NParks over the accident, Mr Lee told TODAY: “I don’t understand how the tree can fall. Based on the photo I see the roots are not deep enough! I need an answer for that. My wife is injured now. I don’t feel good.

“Something is wrong with their maintenance. The tree is so old and so big, but they had to wait till the wind and rain hit before doing anything about it. This is a park, where children and family are supposed to feel safe in!”

Mr Lee noted that the weather was sunny earlier in the day, and the colleagues had planned to play a few games and conduct a gift exchange by the end of the day.

An NParks officer was later seen speaking to him.

The woman who appeared shakened told this reporter she was not ready to speak to the media.

An SMRT van was seen at the Sembawang Park.

NParks said that at the time of the incident, there were intense thunderstorms with gusty winds in the northern part of the island.

The board said it is investigating the cause of the tree fall and is in the midst of getting in touch with the victims and their families.


14 taken to hospital after 2 trees uprooted at Sembawang Park
Channel NewsAsia 20 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE: Fourteen people were taken to hospital on Thursday (Dec 20) evening after a tree at Sembawang Park fell on a shelter during a thunderstorm.

It was one of two trees that were uprooted during intense thunderstorms and gusty winds on Thursday evening, the National Parks Board (NParks) said.

The tree that fell on the shelter was an Erythrophleum suaveolens, commonly known as a red water tree. It was around 21m tall, according to NParks.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it responded to the incident at Beaulieu Road at about 5.55pm. Rescue and medical resources were dispatched to the scene.

There were no trapped casualties when SCDF arrived at the scene and the 14 people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in SCDF ambulances.

Another tree, a Tabebuia rosea, also known as a trumpet tree, was also uprooted in the storm, NParks said.

Mr Chuah Hock Seong, NParks group director for parks, said the board was investigating the cause of the incident.

"We understand that all the injured persons are in stable condition and we are in the midst of getting in touch with them and their families," he added.

INJURED WERE HAVING CHRISTMAS PARTY BEFORE TREE FELL

Mr Lim Hock Lye, who owns restaurant Beaulieu House in Sembawang Park, told Channel NewsAsia that he saw police and SCDF officers in the park at around 6pm.

He said he heard from a passer-by that a group of about 10 to 15 were having a Christmas party near a playground. They took shelter in a pavilion, which was crushed when the tree fell on it, he said.

"I understand from the other people there that there's a group of around 10 to 15 persons partying, then the sudden rain came and they took cover," he said.

"I think it's because of the heavy rain and thunderstorm, the old tree was tilted, and it crushed onto the shelter, so those people taking cover under there got injured."


14 people taken to hospital after tree falls in Sembawang Park
Choo Yun Ting, Rahimah Rashith, Fabian Koh Straits Times 20 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE - Fourteen people were taken to hospital on Thursday (Dec 20) after a tree fell on a pavilion in Sembawang Park.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to the fallen tree incident in Beaulieu Road at 5.55pm.

When SCDF arrived at the scene, no one was trapped and the 14 people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) by SCDF ambulances.

Some of those injured are SMRT employees. According to their friends, the group of 17 people aged between 19 and 44 were celebrating Christmas with food and drinks. They moved into a pavilion when it started raining heavily. The tree then fell on the roof and crushed it.

In a statement on Thursday, the National Parks Board said that two trees were uprooted around 5.30pm at Sembawang Park. The trees were a Tabebuia rosea, also known as trumpet tree, measuring about 18m in height and 3.6m in girth, and an Erythrophleum suaveolens, commonly known as an ordeal tree, which is around 21m tall and 3.1m in girth.

The ordeal tree fell onto a pavilion at the park. There were intense thunderstorms with gusty winds in the northern part of the island at the time of the incident, NParks added.

NParks is still investigating the cause of the incident.

14 people taken to hospital after tree falls in Sembawang Park

When The Straits Times went to the park, the pathway was completely blocked by the tree. Workers were trying to cut it down.

Ms Carine Yeo, 44, a supervisor in the transport industry, said: "My friends were trapped under the log and roof. We tried to lift the planks and pull them out. All had cuts and were bleeding. I am still in a bit of a shock from what happened."

Those who were not injured pulled the victims out and moved them to a nearby shelter.

"One colleague had to be piggybacked," said Ms Yeo, who was sitting at the shelter when ST spoke to her. There were wet clothes on the seat, along with a box of water and chips. On the seat were also unwrapped presents, a smudged cake and some ham.

SMRT's chief executive Neo Kian Hong was spotted at KTPH at about 10pm visiting the injured.

"We're just very concerned about our staff," he said. "We will definitely be there to make sure that we can support them."

Air-con technician Philip Wong, 55, told ST that his nephew, 30-year-old Malaysian Chan Chung Chern, suffered head injuries and complained of chest pains.

Mr Chan is a bus conductor with SMRT and was at Sembawang Park after his supervisor invited him and his colleagues to celebrate Christmas, said Mr Wong.

"They were carrying out their activities when the tree suddenly fell on the pavilion and crushed them all," Mr Wong said.

He was informed of the incident after one of Mr Chan's colleagues called him.

SMRT route controller Chandra Das, 28, was one of those at the gathering.

"We ran into the pavilion to hide from the rain, when suddenly the tree fell down. Everything happened in a second," she said from the hospital.

She added that her husband, Mr Navin Sangar, 25, also an SMRT route controller, required stitches on his forehead.

When the tree fell, there were sharp edges poking into the pavilion. None of them tried to push the tree up, and those who could move slowly crawled out from underneath, said Ms Chandra, who was visibly shaken.

Ms Carine Yeo and her colleagues were enjoying food and drinks under a pavilion in Sembawang Park when a tree fell on it.

Mr Lim Hock Lye, the owner of Beaulieu House restaurant in Sembawang Park, told ST that the area around the fallen tree was barricaded when he arrived at his restaurant at around 6.30pm.

The 64-year-old said that there was a “terrible thunderstorm” that started at around 5pm, but the rain had eased by 6.30pm.

He said that on Sunday, a tree in Sembawang was struck by lightning, but he was not aware if there were any injuries.

The northern part of the island experienced moderate to heavy thundery showers with gusty wind, the National Environment Agency said in a tweet.

In January, extreme weather conditions with intense rain and strong winds were reported in the north and north-eastern parts of Singapore, which led to flash floods and more than 200 reports of falling trees.

Sembawang was one of the areas which was affected by winds of more than 70kmh and heavy rain.

In addition, several trees were completely uprooted and obstructed pathways in Yishun Park.

“To prepare for such weather events, NParks has strengthened our management of trees by replacing storm-vulnerable trees, and carrying out targeted pruning and crown reduction prior to the monsoon season,” NParks streetscape group director Oh Cheow Sheng told ST in January.

In September, four vehicles were damaged when a five-storey tall tree fell in Hougang after a storm. There were no injuries reported.


Trees that fell in Sembawang Park last inspected in May 2017, found to be healthy: NParks
Lim Min Zhang Straits Times 21 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE - The two trees that fell in Sembawang Park on Thursday night (Dec 20) which led to 14 people being injured were last inspected in May last year and found to be healthy, said the National Parks Board (NParks) on Friday.

The uprooted trees appeared to have fallen due to heavy winds, based on the direction of falls and their large sizes, said Mr Chuah Hock Seong, NParks' group director of parks, in a statement, adding that investigations are ongoing.

On Thursday, two mature trees were uprooted at around 5.30pm during an intense thunderstorm with gusty winds.

One of the trees, which was 21m tall, fell on a shelter in the park, injuring a group of SMRT workers who were having a Christmas gathering.

The group of 17 friends had sought refuge there after it started raining heavily, and 14 of them were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital after the shelter collapsed.

As of last night, most of them had been discharged or treated for light injuries, such as cuts and head wounds requiring stitches.

Meteorological Service Singapore said that moderate to heavy thundery showers that fell in the Sembawang area on Thursday was the most intense between 5.20pm and 5.50pm.

The strongest recorded wind gust was 63kmh at Seletar station, about 6.5km away from Sembawang Park, it added in a statement on Friday.

For the year to date, the strongest recorded wind gust was 133.3kmh at Tengah on March 30.

The tree that fell on the shelter was a Erythrophleum suaveolens, commonly known as ordeal tree, which was about 3.1m in girth.

14 people taken to hospital after tree falls in Sembawang Park

The other tree was a Tabebuia rosea, also known as trumpet tree, measuring about 18m in height and 3.6m in girth.

The area affected by the tree falls at the park has been cordoned off to facilitate tree clearance works, and the rest of the park is still open to visitors, said Mr Chuah.

NParks is the central agency for the maintenance of public greenery.

It manages about two million trees along streets, in parks and state lands.

Detailing the tree management measures it has taken, Mr Chuah said NParks has a "comprehensive" programme in place since the early 2000s, which includes "a rigorous regime of inspections and pruning, the use of specialised equipment, and professional certification of staff".

Tree inspections are carried out based on tree care guidelines by the International Society of Arboriculture.

Since November 2016, NParks has carried out advanced inspections of trees more than 4m in girth, and is currently developing modelling tools to better understand the behaviour of trees in different environmental conditions, said Mr Chuah.

Ms Carine Yeo and her colleagues were enjoying food and drinks under a pavilion in Sembawang Park when a tree fell on it.

"With the strengthening of our tree management regime over the years, the annual number of tree incidents has fallen by about 85 per cent from 3,000 in 2001 to about 400 as of December 2018, despite more intensive rain and stormy weather," he added.

He said that in addition to pruning and inspection of trees, NParks officers carry out checks when they do their routine rounds along streets and in parks.

"These checks are intensified during periods of adverse weather conditions to pick out trees for targeted tree pruning and crown reduction, or more detailed inspection," he said, adding that officers also check affected sites after any storm event to identify storm-damaged trees and take necessary mitigation measures.

He also said frequency of inspection and pruning ranges between one and two years, and varies with a number of factors, such as location, species, age and the condition of trees, with higher frequency for some trees and places.

He noted that this frequency is more stringent than the recommendations by the International Society of Arboriculture.

When The Straits Times visited the park on Friday morning, workers were seen clearing the tree and damaged shelter.

Mr Jeremiah Tan, 22, who is organising a youth camp for the Ambassador Baptist Church at the park for about 100 participants aged between three and 19, said the group will move indoors when it rains rather than seek shelter within the park.

The camp started on Tuesday and will end on Sunday. The group is staying at The Boys' Brigade and The Girls' Brigade campsite next to the park.

"We have been conducting our camps here every year for the past five to six years without trouble," said the National University of Singapore undergraduate.

"But after Thursday's incident, we will move indoors when the weather turns bad, as it seems the shelters might be unsafe too, especially for the children."

NParks said measures suggested in a coroner's report into the death of a woman who was hit by a falling 40m-tall Tembusu tree at the Botanic Gardens last year have been implemented.

This includes the taking of photographs during all inspections of significant trees, such as old and large ones.

Coroner Marvin Bay had said in April this year that such images would be useful in investigations "as an archive of contemporaneously taken photographs of the same tree can allow a more cogent analysis of the actual baseline health of the tree".


Fallen trees at Sembawang Park last inspected May 2017, deemed healthy: NParks
Channel NewsAsia 21 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE: The trees that fell at Sembawang Park on Thursday (Dec 20) were last inspected in May last year and assessed to be healthy, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in a media statement on Friday.

NParks had said on Thursday that two trees fell at the park, but later on Friday updated this to four, adding that all the trees had been inspected in May last year.

One of the trees, an Erythrophleum suaveolens about 21 metres tall, fell and crushed a pavilion where several people attending a Christmas party were taking cover during a thunderstorm on Thursday evening.

Another tree, a Tabebuia rosea, was also uprooted.

A total of 14 people were taken to hospital.

On Friday, NParks said it was still investigating the cause, but added that the trees may have been uprooted due to the thunderstorm.

“Based on the same direction of falls and the large size of the two uprooted trees, they appear to have succumbed to heavy winds."

NParks said there have been about 400 incidents of tree falls to date this year.

REGULAR INSPECTIONS

Trees are inspected and pruned every 12 to 24 months, sometimes more often, based on the tree care guidelines of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

“The frequency of inspection and pruning varies according to factors such as location, species, age, and the condition of the trees,” NParks said.

“This is more stringent than the recommendations by ISA.”

Areas with higher traffic, such as major roads, expressways and certain parks, are inspected more frequently.

“NParks officers also carry out regular checks of our trees when they do their routine rounds of our streetscapes and parks,” NParks said. “These checks are intensified during periods of adverse weather conditions to pick out trees for targeted tree pruning and crown reduction or more detailed inspection.”

Storm-affected areas are also checked for damaged trees and mitigation measures, such as crown pruning and reduction, are taken. Severely damaged trees may be removed, though this is not often done.

The area affected by the fallen trees is cordoned off to facilitate clearance work. The rest of the park remains open to visitors.