5 cars damaged as 6-storey-tall tree falls in Sims Drive carpark

The fallen tree, which could be over 17m tall, being cleared yesterday. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHIA TUCK SOON

A six-storey-tall tree fell in an open-air carpark next to Block 41 Sims Drive, damaging at least five cars.

The incident took place at 5am yesterday, after a heavy downpour.

Based on typical Housing Board building measurements, a tree reaching the sixth storey of a block of flats would be about 15m to over 17m tall.

A resident, cabby Chia Tuck Soon, said he saw police officers on the scene at around 7am as the tree was being removed.

He added that the tree could be about 35 years old, based on its height.

His ComfortDelGro taxi is one of the vehicles damaged.

Others include a red Mitsubishi and a blue Hyundai.

The Straits Times understands that no injuries were reported.

Mr Chia, 58, is worried about whether his taxi is insured under ComfortDelGro.

"Repair work will be costly. and it's harder to make ends meet these days when I am getting fewer passengers due to Covid-19," he said.

In photos by Chinese-language daily Lianhe Wanbao, affected owners could be seen covering their cars with clear plastic sheets or bin liners after the rear windows were damaged.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 12, 2020, with the headline 5 cars damaged as 6-storey-tall tree falls in Sims Drive carpark. Subscribe