Giant Banyan Tree Falling In East Jakarta Injures 2 Residents, JPO, 17 Motorcycles And 2 Cars Damaged

The giant banyan tree that fell at Otista, East Jakarta (Rizky Sulistio/VOI)

JAKARTA - A giant banyan tree that fell on Jalan Otista, Bidara Cina Village, Jatinegara District, East Jakarta caused 17 motorcycles and 2 cars to be badly damaged and two residents injured.

Lurah Bidara Cina Yudhie Hartono said the injured victims were two residents who were inside the BRI office yard.

"Because he was right under a tree, there was a security post where he was taking shelter or sleeping. After being hit by (a tree), the victim was taken to the hospital. Two people were injured," Yudhie told reporters, Tuesday, November 9.

Yudhie said that his party had coordinated with the Forestry Satpel in the process of evacuating the felling of trees.

"We will focus on the below first because the JPO can be reused. Later it will be assisted by PPSU personnel," he said.

The banyan tree is in the yard of the BRI office on Jalan Otista. After the tree fell, the impact of the tree trunk was to enter the office yard next to it and to JPO public facilities and highways.

"This banyan tree is too heavy and the burden is too heavy. A total of 17 motorcycles and 2 cars were damaged by the tree branches," he said.

The giant banyan tree that fell at Otista, East Jakarta (Rizky Sulistio/VOI)

As previously reported, dozens of officers from the East Jakarta City Parks and Forests Sub-department as well as PPSU are still evacuating the giant banyan tree that fell hundreds of years old on Jalan Otista Raya, Bidara Cina Village, Jatinegara District, East Jakarta.

From VOI's observation at the location, the officers seemed to have difficulty in the evacuation process because the giant banyan tree trunk was large.

Moreover, the fallen branches and trunks of the banyan tree are caught in the overhead line, thus making the branch cutting process take place carefully. The tree trunk also damaged the pedestrian bridge (JPO) to the Otista Busway Shelter.

"The problem is the tree trunk is stuck on top of this cable. It takes a long time to cut it," said Tatang, one of the Parks Sub-department's task force at the site, Tuesday, November 9, afternoon.

The giant banyan tree began logging evacuations since 10:00 WIB.