NEWLYWEDS ON M-CYCLE CRASH INTO UPROOTED TREE
They were returning from ‘nikah’ ceremony in Cheras
ANEWLY-MARRIED couple were injured when their motorcycle crashed into a tree that fell across Jalan Ampang in front of KLCC yesterday.
Mira Ezva Abd Rasid, 25, said she and her husband Norazrul Ahmad, 37, were returning from a mosque in Cheras after their nikah ceremony when the tree crashed down in front of them in the 7.45am incident.
“It happened in a flash. The tree fell in front of us and my husband did not have enough time to avoid it or hit the brakes, so we crashed into it.
“I am thankful that we were not killed, but my husband is unconscious and I am worried,” she said at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
She said although she worked as a security officer at a shopping centre in Ampang, that was the first time she had used that particular section of Jalan Ampang.
“This is a test for me. We have only just gotten married. I hope my husband recovers.”
She said she would take action against those responsible for the accident once her husband’s condition stabilised.
“I will not hesitate to take action. This involves people’s lives. My husband and I were lucky the tree did not fall on us.”
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur City Hall corporate planning department director Fadzilah Abdul Rashid said the tree, a raintree which was more than 130 years old, was believed to have fallen because its roots were rotten.
“Physically, the tree itself was in good condition, but checks after it had fallen revealed that the roots had begun to rot.
“This was something that could not be seen physically it was happening underground. This made the tree unstable and led to it being uprooted.”
Fadzilah said the trees in the area undergo maintenance work according to schedule, at least twice a year.
“The company contracted for the work has to appoint an arborist to check the trees physically and provide reports to City Hall. It also has to identify areas where trees have a high risk (of posing a danger to people), besides propose actions which need to be taken.
“We are in the process of drawing up a management plan for high-risk trees, especially on trees located near roads.”