Authorities To Inspect Thousands Of Flame Trees

Development secretary Bernadette Linn on Saturday said authorities will inspect over ten thousand flame trees planted along roadsides by the end of this month after a huge tree fell and crashed onto several vehicles the day before.

The driver and nanny of a school bus suffered only minor injuries in the incident in Ho Man Tin.

Linn said authorities will inspect other types of trees later, but given the large numbers of up to a million of them, officials will have to prioritise.

She also said her bureau will set up a dedicated team to review current tree management guidelines and enforcement, and it is hoped that officials can come up with recommendations by the end of the year.

Linn said officials will review if visual assessment or inspections with equipment are still appropriate nowadays. She also asked if a healthy tree should be removed if it cannot adapt to the current conditions of roads.