A tree near the Swiss-Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang in Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, collapsed this morning, injuring a 39-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl.
The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department reported receiving a distress call regarding the incident at 10.44am.
Firefighters, along with personnel from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), are currently working to clear the tree and reopen the road to traffic.
According to The Sun Daily, both victims were promptly taken to hospital for treatment. Their current condition remains unknown.
Astro Radio Traffic alerted motorists on Twitter that Jalan Pudu is blocked in both directions, causing significant congestion.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area, with traffic reportedly backed up from Jalan Hang Tuah to Jalan Dewan Bahasa and Jalan Maharajalela.
This is not the first time Kuala Lumpur has faced such incidents. On 7 May last year, a large tree fell along Jalan Sultan Ismail, tragically killing a motorist trapped in his vehicle and injuring two others in another car.
Less than a week later, heavy rain caused another tree to collapse at Jalan Pinang, forcing authorities to temporarily close the road.
In response to these incidents, DBKL identified 28 trees within the city centre as “high-risk” and scheduled them for removal.
The city hall also announced that four contractors would be tasked with tree maintenance in every parliamentary constituency in the capital to prevent similar tragedies.
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