The driver and nanny of a school bus escaped with only minor injuries on Friday after a huge tree fell onto their vehicle in Ho Man Tin.

The incident happened at about 7.40am outside Hop Yat Church School on Perth Street.

The tree smashed the front of the bus and a private car next to it, also damaging the roofs of two other cars.

The bus driver surnamed Choi, 62, said luckily all the children had got off before the tree came crashing down.

Choi said he suffered scratches to his arms and the bus nanny, who was sitting at the back of the vehicle, also only suffered minor injuries.

Ken So, chief executive of the Conservancy Association, said based on his observations it was likely that the tree's roots had been rotten for a few years.

"The tree's roots have very serious decay. So actually there was no big root providing anchorage for the tree," he said.

So said the Delonix Regia, or flame tree, may have been damaged by nearby roadworks, adding that another one came down on the same street in 2015.

"The reason may be road repairs or utility works before that damaged the roots [of the trees] along the street. The root damage, after a very long time, can develop into root rot."

He said normal tree inspections will not pick up root decay, which isn't easily observed.

In response, the government said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will complete a thorough investigation into the incident by early October.

LCSD said it had been caring for the tree and that it did not find signs of decay on the surface of its trunk, branches and roots when officers last inspected it on April 22.

The authorities said they will conduct checks on large flame trees on the roadside to ensure public safety.
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Last updated: 2022-09-16 HKT 21:30