Heavy rain uprooted a massive 70-year-old blackthorn tree in the Mall Chattar area of Dhaka University campus on Sunday morning.
Fatema Binte Mostafa, estate manager of the university, said that the tree suddenly fell from its base during the downpour. The incident caused no casualties as the area remained entirely empty at the time.
Prof Jasim Uddin, director of the university Arboriculture Centre, confirmed the approximate age of the tree. Regarding the reason for the collapse, he said, “Due to the construction of concrete structures on the Mall road, the roots of the tree could no longer connect. As a result, the base of the tree became lighter, and it uprooted in the rain without any heavy wind.”
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The falling blackthorn damaged several nearby trees, including copperpod and silk cotton varieties. Prof Jasim expressed concern that all large trees across the campus currently face a similar vulnerable state.
Earlier, a tree census conducted by the Arboriculture Centre revealed that 2,213 out of 17,161 trees of both indigenous and foreign species at Dhaka University remain at risk of falling, uprooting and disease.
The census noted that large trees of foreign species face a significantly greater risk.
The report also identified at least 402 trees on the campus standing in an unbalanced state, which poses a severe danger of falling during adverse weather conditions. Besides, the roots of 19 trees have actively damaged by the road, while another 18 trees stand dangerously close to the streets.