MBPP blames root rot and trunk cavity for Angsana collapse in George Town
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 9 — Root rot and a cavity in the base of a 90-year-old Angsana tree, compounded by chronic soil c...
On August 9, a 90-year-old Angsana tree in George Town collapsed, killing a driver and injuring an elderly couple and their grandchild. The MBPP (Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang) blamed root rot and a cavity in the tree's base for its collapse, which occurred along Jalan Macalister. The tree, which was 28 meters tall, had approximately 30% root rot and about 40% cavity decay in its trunk.
The mayor, Datuk A. Rajendran, stated that these factors, along with infrastructure upgrades, soil compaction, limited rooting space, and the tree's height, significantly increased the risk of the tree falling. No heavy rain or strong winds were reported prior to the incident. MBPP began removing the fallen tree at 9:41 am, and the road was reopened at 2:20 pm after clearing work was completed.
The mayor also mentioned that 179 high-risk trees had been approved for felling this year, with 148 already removed.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
