SINGAPORE - A tree cutter was killed in a freak accident on Thursday afternoon when he was hit by a falling branch.

The victim, believed to be a 45-year-old Indian national called Mr Ganesan, had been sitting on a branch 10m above the ground when was was struck on the cheek, knocking him off and leaving him suspended by his safety harness in a forested area behind Kheam Hock Road.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) were called to the scene.

He was lowered to the ground by his co-workers but was found to be unresponsive, and was pronounced dead by SCDF paramedics just before 4.30pm.

Mr Ganesan had been working in Singapore for the past six years.

Police have classified the case as an unnatural death. Investigations are ongoing.