All trees in Gardens' Palm Valley safe: NParks

The remains of the fallen tembusu tree at the Botanic Gardens' Palm Valley yesterday, as many visitors went about their usual activities a day after the fatal incident there. NParks declared the rest of the Gardens safe to visit and will be conductin
The remains of the fallen tembusu tree at the Botanic Gardens' Palm Valley yesterday, as many visitors went about their usual activities a day after the fatal incident there. NParks declared the rest of the Gardens safe to visit and will be conducting more checks on trees. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

The National Parks Board (NParks) has found all trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens' Palm Valley to be safe after a detailed investigation, and will be conducting more checks on trees nearby and on all Heritage Trees in the Gardens.

It also declared the rest of the Gardens safe for the public to visit, as many went about their usual activities yesterday, a day after a fatal incident caused by a falling 40m-tall tembusu tree.

Ms Radhika Angara, 38, was killed last Saturday afternoon after she was pinned down by the tree, which was more than 270 years old. Her French husband, Mr Jerome Rouch-Sirech, 39, and their one-year-old twin children were injured, along with 26-year-old Singaporean woman Tay Pei Lei.

NParks yesterday assured the public of the comprehensive tree management programme in place to cope with unpredictable and severe weather patterns.

Going forward, it is developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under varying conditions like rain and wind.

Samantha Boh and Calvin Yang

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 13, 2017, with the headline All trees in Gardens' Palm Valley safe: NParks. Subscribe