Passers-by rush to help after 20m-tall tree falls on vehicles outside City Plaza in Geylang

Passers-by rushed to help after a 20m-tall tree fell on traffic at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Geylang Road outside City Plaza, which caused a traffic jam on Sunday afternoon (Sept 10).

Netizens lauded the community spirit demonstrated in videos of the incident posted online.

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"Everyone came together in a group to help remove the fallen tree from the vehicles," said Stomper Raven.

"Helping hands, regardless of race or religion," commented Stomper Jane.

One of those who lent a helping hand, Mr Tom Deakin, told The Straits Times: “There were quite a few shouts and screams and a lot of commotion when it first came down. It fell mainly on the road, and thankfully missed most of the pedestrian crossing and footpath.

“I started moving some of the heavier debris out of the road, while my wife, friend and some others started clearing the road so that some of the cars could start passing."

Stomper Yu shared a video of a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) vehicle at the scene later.

In response to a Stomp query, SCDF said it received a call for assistance along Tanjong Katong Road at about 12.55pm.

One person declined to be taken to the hospital after being assessed for minor injuries, said SCDF.

Road clearance works by SCDF personnel ended at about 4.30pm, according to Lianhe Zaobao. 

A spokesman for City Plaza management said there had been no visible warning signs that the tree was at risk of collapsing.

"We will engage a certified arborist or landscaping company to prescribe and instruct appropriate tree pruning directives according to tree health and for addressing safety concerns to pedestrians and other road users," added the spokesman.