Fallen tree at Tiong Bahru Road snarls traffic, crushes car and damages sheltered walkway

SINGAPORE — A large tree fell across Tiong Bahru Road on Friday (March 3) evening, snarling traffic and damaging a sheltered walkway. 

A video taken by CNA reader Dorothea Wong showed a line of SBS Transit buses waiting behind the fallen tree. The 28-year-old said the incident happened at about 5.30pm. 

"It was a super loud sound. I jumped and thought to myself it must have been a car crash. But when I stood to my feet and looked out of the window, I was stunned to see that a tree had fallen across the two-way street."

SBS Transit said in a tweet at about 6pm that eight of its bus services were being diverted from the area due to a fallen tree, with five bus stops skipped.

"Please be informed that Services 5, 16, 33/33A, 63, 851, 122, 123/123M and 195/195A are being diverted from Tiong Bahru Road with 5 bus stops skipped (10161, 10169, 10151, 10141 and 10149) due to a fallen tree."

When CNA arrived at the scene at about 6.30pm, there was a queue of buses lined up until Tiong Bahru Plaza. 

Police vehicles, an ambulance and a lorry crane were also at the site, with workers in the process of clearing away the tree.

The tree, which used to stand beside Block 7 Tiong Bahru Road, appeared to have been uprooted. It toppled and crashed into a sheltered walkway on the opposite side of the road, in front of Block 24. 

Ms Charming Lee shared a photo on Facebook of the damaged sheltered walkway in front of Block 24, Tiong Bahru Road. A portion of it collapsed under the weight of the tree.

Another photo by Ms Lee showed that a car had also been damaged and crushed by the impact of the fallen tree.

Retiree Johnny Yap, who lives at Block 26 which overlooks the part of the affected walkway, said his sister heard the tree fall on her way home.

“All these trees are about 50 to 60 years old. Last time the branches also (fell) down. We’ve stayed here since 1960-something,” the 70-year-old told CNA.

“These few days keep raining. That’s why (when you’re) walking, (you) must listen to your surroundings. Otherwise (it is) dangerous.”

Singapore has seen heavy rain in the past week, recording its wettest February day on Feb 28. The Meteorological Service Singapore on Friday forecast "periods of showers, heavy at times", with another monsoon surge expected.

Another two passers-by who spoke to CNA had to walk across the cordoned off portion of the road to get to their destination.

A 63-year-old who only wanted to be identified as Mr Goh said he waited at the bus stop opposite Tiong Bahru Plaza for more than 30 minutes before someone told him the tree had fallen.

Mr Richarlie Wee, 83, alighted from his bus to walk to Tiong Bahru Plaza. He did not know why traffic had stopped until he spotted the damaged car and fallen tree.

Images from Google Street View dated March 2022 showed large trees lining both sides of this stretch of Tiong Bahru Road. 

One of the trees next to Block 7 can be seen slightly leaning over the pavement, in the direction of the main road.