Men trapped after tree falls at Alexandra Hospital

SINGAPORE — Two men were trapped after an tree measuring about 3 metres in diameter and 15 metres in height uprooted and fell onto a building opposite the auditorium of Alexandra Hospital during a storm this afternoon.

They have since been rescued and were sent to the hospital’s accident and emergency department for treatment.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted of the incident at 2.49pm. They were also told that two people were trapped under the rubble.

Upon arrival, the SCDF stabilised the tree and the building to prevent further damage. They then used cutting and lifting equipment to extricate the first man, which took 40 minutes. They took another 45 minutes to rescue the second man, whom SCDF said was “4m deeper inside the rubble”.

The single-storey building is understood to be a pre-war building which was undergoing the finishing touches of a refurbishment project. It was understood that there were four people in the building, but two managed to escape.