KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Falling trees nationwide have killed 50 people and left 243 injured out of 26,001 cases recorded between 2021 and June this year, said Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad.
He added that the number of cases has been consistently high each year, with 1,912 cases recorded in the first six months of this year alone (four deaths, 20 injuries).
In view of the continuing threat to public safety, he urged local authorities and building owners to conduct regular tree safety audits.
“JBPM therefore fully supports the conduct of tree safety assessments, especially in high-risk areas such as major roads, schools, hospitals, public parks, residential areas and other locations frequented by the public.
“These inspections should be carried out by qualified officers or experts to assess the condition of the trunk, branches, canopy, root system, degree of lean, as well as the impact of development activities around the trees concerned,” he told reporters after officiating the Fire and Rescue Games (SUKBOM) in Seri Petaling here today.
Nor Hisham said systematic tree safety audits would help detect early signs of structural failure before life-threatening or property-damaging incidents occur.
For trees identified as high risk, he advised that immediate action be taken, including pruning, treatment, installing support systems, or controlled felling.
On the causes of falling trees, he said prolonged rainfall, especially during the inter-monsoon period, could cause the soil to become saturated, thereby reducing the stability of tree root systems.
Nor Hisham said extreme weather like heavy rain and strong winds is the main trigger for branches to snap or trees to fall, with the situation aggravated by physical factors such as ageing, disease, decay, or weak structural integrity.
He added that trees planted in landscaped areas are at a higher risk of falling than naturally grown trees, as their root systems tend to spread laterally due to differences in the original soil structure.
Although the number of cases fluctuated, reaching a high of 5,232 in 2024 before declining to 4,488 last year, emergency calls related to falling trees stayed consistently high at between 4,400 and 5,200 annually, Nor Hisham said.
