The tree that crashed on the shelter at Sembawang Park belongs to the Erythrophleum suaveolens species, said the National Parks Board.

According to a former senior arborist at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Mr Lahiru Wijedasa, the species originated in Africa and was planted extensively in post-1960s Singapore as part of local greening efforts. It is rarely seen now and not commonly found in local nurseries.

The uprooted tree was 21m tall, and had a 3.1m girth. It was likely to have had a significantly wide root structure.

Mr Wijedasa said that there were several reasons why a tree could collapse, but only invasive tests can determine if a seemingly healthy tree is suffering from a fungal infection, or if there is damage to the roots. Strong winds, or a combination of factors, can also bring it down.