Brother of woman killed by fallen tree says family needs closure, wants to know how incident happened

SINGAPORE — The older brother of Ms Dag Loke Xiao Li, the woman killed by a falling tree at Marsiling Park on Thursday (Feb 18), said that his grieving family is still seeking answers as to how the fatal incident happened.

Speaking to TODAY on the first day of his sister’s wake in Woodlands on Friday (Feb 19), Mr Loke, who is in his 40s and declined to give his full name, said: “Frankly, it is too painful for us to be reading all the news reports about what happened at Marsiling Park. I’ve also heard many inconsistencies from what people are saying.

“At this point, all my family and I are hoping for are the answers from the investigation. Through these answers, we will be able to finally get some closure for our grief, which will be good for us.”

Dag Loke, 38, a senior technical coordinator with news channel CNA, was killed after a 20m-tall coniferous tree measuring 1.3m in girth fell on her while she was exercising at the park.

On Thursday, the National Parks Board (NParks) said that the cause of the incident is being investigated, adding that the tree was most recently inspected in April last year and was found to be healthy.

NParks said that trees are generally inspected once every six to 24 months, depending on their age and where they are located. Trees are also regularly pruned to improve their structure and balance.

There were around 340 cases of tree failure — which includes trees that fall due to structural failure — last year, fewer than the 420 cases recorded in 2019.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, who paid his respects at the wake on Friday, had previously said on Facebook that following the incident on Thursday, he had asked NParks to check and review the condition of the trees and the safety of facilities in the area.

Mr Loke, referring to the circumstances surrounding the incident, said that it was still too soon to speculate on what had happened and doing so could prejudice the investigation.

He added that it was also too early to talk about whether his family members may seek legal action or compensation because they are still dealing with the grief.

Appearing emotional behind his face mask, Mr Loke told TODAY that his sister had lived with their parents, who are having a difficult time coming to terms with the loss.

“If I am already feeling all this pain and sadness, I can’t imagine how much worse it must be for my parents, who are in the same nuclear family with Dag.

“My father is quietly holding on, while my mother… (all I can say is) she loves my sister very much,” he said.

The family had planned to hold another Chinese New Year get-together soon, until the incident cancelled those plans.

At the wake, Mr Loke said that he was thankful for the large numbers of friends and Mediacorp colleagues who turned up to bid farewell to his sister, adding that his family was doing its utmost to abide by safe-distancing rules with a 30-person limit at the wake.

“What struck me most was the part of Dag that they (saw and told) me, about how she selflessly gave of her time and (spared no) effort to help them with their problems. It was entirely consistent with the sister I know.

“To me, Dag will always be that fearless and selfless person who looked after her friends and family,” he said.

The three-day wake ends next Monday.