GEORGE TOWN: Root rot and a cavity in the base of a 90-year-old Angsana tree, compounded by chronic soil compaction and limited rooting space, contributed to its collapse along Jalan Macalister here on Sunday (Aug 9).
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the 28-metre-tall tree, Pterocarpus indicus, had an estimated 30% root rot, while cavity decay accounted for about 40% of its base trunk.
"These factors, combined with infrastructure upgrading works, chronic soil compaction, limited rooting space and the tree's height, significantly increased the risk of structural failure," he told Bernama on Sunday.
In the incident at about 9am, an elderly couple and their grandchild were injured when the SUV they were travelling in was crushed by the falling tree.
Rajendran said there were no reports of heavy rain or strong winds at or before the time of the incident.
He said MBPP began removing the fallen tree at 9.41am, with the road reopened at 2.20pm after clearing works were completed.
He said MBPP had assessed mature and aged trees along Jalan Macalister in 2024, resulting in 13 trees being identified for felling, all of which had since been removed.
He added that the last tree maintenance work along Jalan Macalister was carried out on Jan 29 this year, while a remote sensing study conducted last year found the trees along the road to be in good condition with no warning indicators.
Rajendran said 179 high-risk trees had been approved for felling this year, with 148 already removed, while 247 trees had been felled in the first three quarters.
The trees were felled for various reasons, including obstructing drainage, being dead or leaning, posing a collapse risk, development projects, road and river widening, and encroaching on Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) pipeline alignments.
"For MBPP's overall tree management programme, 2,535 trees were identified last year under various categories, including 45 cases involving drainage obstruction, 138 dead trees, 2,242 assessed under risk or other categories, and 110 linked to development or infrastructure works.
"Following the incident, MBPP has instructed the appointed contractor to expedite work to reduce tree height and fell trees with potential collapse risks along Jalan Macalister, based on assessments by certified arborists," he said.
Rajendran said MBPP continues to prioritise trees posing safety risks, particularly those affected by infrastructure works and restricted rooting conditions. — Bernama
