22 hrs ago
Tree Falls on App Cab Near Kalighat Temple, Injuring Driver
A large tree fell onto a car being used as an app cab near Kalighat temple in Kolkata.
The driver, Puspendu Halder, had just dropped off a passenger.
He was trapped for a short time, then crawled out through the back door.
He had a head injury and cuts on his hands.
The tree badly damaged his car, which he uses to earn money.
Halder is worried about how he will work and pay his car loan while the vehicle is damaged.
It was raining heavily and visibility was poor.
Residents said they were shocked that a tree that looked healthy could fall.
People have blamed poor planting practices and insufficient pruning for other tree-fall accidents in the city.
A tree fell on an app cab on SP Mukherjee Road near Kalighat temple around 11.30am Wednesday.
Driver Puspendu Halder, 33, had just dropped off a passenger when the tree struck his Maruti Suzuki WagonR.
Halder escaped through the rear door with a head injury and cuts to his hands.
The impact shattered the windscreen and damaged the car’s roof, leaving it unusable for his cab work.
Residents raised concerns about falling trees; unscientific planting and inadequate civic pruning have often been blamed for similar incidents.
- Who
- App-cab driver Puspendu Halder, 33, was injured.
- What
- A tree fell onto his Maruti Suzuki WagonR, injuring him and damaging the vehicle.
- Where
- SP Mukherjee Road near the Kalighat temple skywalk gate in Kolkata.
- When
- Wednesday, around 11.30am.
- Why
- The tree snapped and fell during heavy rain; the article says unscientific planting and inadequate pruning have often been blamed for similar accidents.
Residents’ concerns
Possible causes cited
Why trees fall
Residents’ concerns
Residents said it was frightening that a tree that appeared healthy could fall without warning.
Possible causes cited
Unscientific plantation and inadequate pruning by the civic body have frequently been blamed for tree- and branch-fall accidents.
Key facts
- Driver
- Puspendu Halder, 33
- Location
- SP Mukherjee Road near Kalighat temple, Kolkata
- Time
- Around 11.30am Wednesday
- Conditions
- Heavy rain and poor visibility
- Injuries
- Head injury and cuts on his hands
- Vehicle
- Maruti Suzuki WagonR; its front windscreen shattered and roof was damaged
- Loan payment
- Halder said he pays an EMI of around ₹16,000 on a four-year repayment schedule
Quotes
An unnamed area resident
A resident in the area where the tree fell
“It is scary how any tree could fall and cause such dangerous accidents.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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