Mahogany Tree Collapses onto Three Rickshaws

In Faridpur, a large mahogany tree suddenly collapsed onto three rickshaws on Mujib Road on Thursday morning, narrowly avoiding injury to any passengers. The incident occurred around 11:00 a.m. in the Niltuli neighbourhood, behind the single-storey emergency ward of Faridpur General Hospital. Fortunately, despite significant damage to the vehicles, nobody was hurt.

Investigations reveal that the collapse was linked to ongoing construction work in the area. An old boundary wall behind the hospital’s emergency department had been demolished to make way for a new wall. In preparation for this, soil around the base of the mahogany tree was removed, weakening its support. As a result, the tree toppled onto the rickshaws during the morning hours.

Rickshaw driver Mamun Mia, whose vehicle was among those damaged, described the harrowing incident: “I was carrying passengers along that road when the tree suddenly fell onto my rickshaw and two others. The roofs of my rickshaw and Chunnu Bappari’s were completely smashed, while Tushar Bappari’s rickshaw also sustained damage. Thankfully, no passengers or drivers were injured.”

Confirming the incident, Senior Station Officer of Faridpur Fire Service, Md. Nazrul Islam, provided details of the tree’s size and the operation to clear it: “The mahogany tree measured approximately 30 to 35 feet in height and 5 to 6 feet in girth. While it caused damage to the rickshaws and temporarily blocked traffic, there were no human casualties. Our team quickly cut the tree and moved it to a safe location, restoring traffic flow.”

Faridpur’s Civil Surgeon and supervisor of Faridpur General Hospital, Mahbubur Rahman, said: “The construction work is being carried out by the Public Health Engineering Department. I have summoned the contractor and engineers involved. They admitted they did not anticipate that the tree could fall in this manner. We have advised them to exercise greater caution in future work. Additionally, the department has assured us that compensation will be provided to the three rickshaw drivers whose vehicles were damaged.”

A summary of the affected rickshaws is provided below:

Local residents expressed concern over the safety of large roadside trees during construction projects. Authorities have urged contractors and the public to exercise vigilance, particularly in areas where soil removal or excavation near mature trees could pose risks.

The swift response from the Fire Service and the hospital staff ensured that traffic disruption was brief and no casualties occurred, highlighting the importance of rapid intervention in urban safety incidents.