GEORGE TOWN: A tragic accident occurred when a father and daughter from China were crushed to death by falling ornamental bamboo and sacred fig trees. The incident happened when strong winds caused these trees, growing from a wall, to collapse onto their car.
The dense roots and earth from the fallen trees almost completely flattened the car's roof. The father was seated in the back seat, and the daughter, identified as Liu Xin Xin, 36, was in the front passenger seat. They were visiting the Pinang Peranakan Mansion on Lebuh Gereja when the accident occurred.
Two parked, unoccupied cars were also damaged in the incident. The driver, a local woman identified only as Har, 52, sustained bruises. Security footage captured the moments leading up to the tragedy, showing Liu taking a final photo of the mansion before getting into the car with her father. The footage reveals intense shaking of the trees due to the strong winds moments before the collapse.
Firefighters took three hours to recover the bodies from the wreckage, with both Liu and her father confirmed dead around 5pm. Har described the harrowing moment, saying she honked for help as the trees fell. Liu appeared to be alive shortly after the accident, holding Har’s hand.
A mansion worker revealed that the ornamental bamboo and sacred fig trees had been growing for nearly 20 years, and complaints had been made to the neighboring building’s owner about the issue.
Fire and Rescue Department north-east district officer Mohammad Syafiq Noor Azman noted that the bad weather and limited space at the mansion's parking area made the rescue operation challenging, involving 40 rescuers. Penang Island City Council mayor Datuk A. Rajendran announced that an investigation into the incident has begun.
Rajendran also mentioned that the council had cut down 86 unhealthy trees this year and plans to remove 54 more trees from several streets soon. A total of 1,321 trees were inspected, with RM4.3 million spent on maintaining 13,995 roadside trees. Additionally, 16 locations in Penang reported tree falls, primarily in George Town, Tanjung Bungah, and Air Itam.
