An about 10-metre-tall tree fell and crushed a building in the Tin Hau Temple complex on Rua dos Pescadores at about 10 a.m. yesterday, according to a statement by the Fire Services Bureau (CB).
No injuries were reported.
Regarding the accident, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a separate statement that the broken part of the “old and valuable” banyan tree was a branch with a diameter of about 45 centimetres and a length of about five metres. IAM believes that the recent heavy rains had increased the weight of the branch that was “severely” rotted, making it unable to bear its weight and breaking off.
The statement underlined that the affected area has been fenced off since the accident.
The bureau stressed in the statement that it will continue to monitor the situation of the old tree and assist the temple in following up on the situation.
The banyan, which was listed as one of the city’s protected old trees in November 2020, is “seriously sick”, the statement said, adding that IAM arborists found signs of brown root disease infection, withered branches and cracked bark on the tree during a recent inspection.
As the tree is on private property that should be managed by representatives of the owners, the bureau has notified the them, requiring them to carry out maintenance on the old tree, while also checking its condition regularly.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement yesterday that some roof tiles of the temple were damaged, stressing that the damage to the roof did not affect the safety of the temple structure.
To ensure the safety of the public, the temple and the old tree, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will liaise with the Municipal Affairs Bureau concerning the tree’s condition, and arrange, if necessary, support stakes for the tree, according to the statement.
The restoration of the temple’s roof will be carried out after completing the treatment of the tree, the statement noted.
This photo shows the old banyan tree a branch of which broke off and crushed the roof of Tin Hau Temple on Rua dos Pescadores yesterday. – Photo: MPDG
