R

esidents of Bekasi, West Java, need to be vigilant when traveling through the city, particularly during the rainy season, as over 5,000 trees are at risk of falling, an official has warned.

Bekasi Spatial Planning Agency acting head Junaedi said over 5,000 trees were at risk of being uprooted because of old age.

“There are over 5,000 trees in Bekasi that could fall down during heavy rain or wind. These trees are [over] 20 years old and were simultaneously planted in 1996,” he said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

He said his office had deployed 20 officers to assess the trees and cut them down if necessary.

“We’re prioritizing cutting down trees situated on arterial roads and thoroughfares as they might disrupt traffic,” he said, urging members of the public to immediately report to the agency should they find trees that are vulnerable.

He said the personnel were also carrying out tree topping and pruning.

In the past three weeks, two trees are reported to have fallen in Bekasi. On Nov. 26, a tree fell and hit a minibus on Jl. Pramuka, South Bekasi district.