Screengrab taken from YouTube showing workers clearing the massive tree after it fell on Saturday.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday (12 February) said the government would not waste any effort in ensuring that the Botanic Gardens remains safe for the public, reported Channel NewsAsia.
His statement came a day after a 40m-tall Tembusu tree at the Botanic Gardens fell, killing 38-year-old Indian national Radhika Angara and injuring four others, including her husband and two children.
“The Botanic Gardens is our national treasure – we will spare no effort to ensure that it remains safe for all to enjoy,” he said in a Facebook post.
Shocked and saddened by the accident, Wong also extended his “deepest condolences to the family of the victim; and my prayers go out to the injured for a speedy recovery”.
He shared that the gardens will remain open even as the affected area has been closed while the toppled tree is cleared.
He noted that it is unusual for a Tembusu tree, particularly one recently given a clean bill of health, to fall without warning. In fact, NParks has asked experts and arborists to look into the matter.
The fallen tree was declared healthy following an inspection last September.
NParks also revealed that it had completed a detailed check on other trees in Palm Valley, where the tree had fallen, and declared them to be safe.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
