Rider killed by fallen acacia tree in Muntinlupa

A motorcycle rider died after an acacia tree fell on him in Barangay Putatan in Muntinlupa City.

According to Jhomer Apresto’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, motorists were plying the Manila South Road when the incident occurred on Wednesday at past 9 p.m.

CCTV footage showed the acacia tree suddenly giving way, hitting the motorcycle rider.

The Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said the victim was brought to the hospital for treatment but eventually died of his injuries.

The fallen tree also hit a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and a dump truck.

The MPV driver said he and his passengers were caught off guard when the tree came crashing down. The driver sought help after his vehicle stopped working.

Authorities said the tree probably gave way due to old age.

They are also checking if residents lost their water supply due to the damage sustained by some water lines.

As of 2 a.m. Thursday, the two lanes of the road were passable to vehicular traffic, but the road was slippery due to sawdust from the clearing operations.

The Muntinlupa City local government unit (LGU) has yet to issue a statement about the incident. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/JMA, GMA Integrated News