Panaji: A 19-year-old girl from Ram Nagar, Betim, was seriously injured after a tree fell on her near Garcia de Orta Garden on Sunday afternoon. She later died during treatment at the GMC.

When the emergency services received information about the incident, they rescued Aarti Gond, who was trapped under the tree, and took her to the GMC.

According to the Panaji police, Gond sustained injuries on her face and was treated in one of the GMC’s operation theatres before she died.

A GMC official said the teenager also suffered abdominal injuries and died while being treated in intensive care. She was being treated by doctors at the surgical department, the official said. Police said the incident occurred when Gond was walking to a shop near the garden.

“According to preliminary information available, she was employed at a shoe shop in the city. Her statement could not be recorded as she was unable to speak. We are verifying the facts,” a senior police official said.

Firefighters and emergency services removed the tree from the road. On the evening of July 17, heavy rain and wind uprooted another tree in the same area, causing it to fall on parked vehicles, including a four-wheeler.

Finance Minister and Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate expressed his grief over the tragic death of the 19-year-old girl. “It is a very sad incident. My condolences go out to the family during this difficult time of theirs,” Monserrate said.

“Tree falling is a natural phenomenon. I have asked the CCP commissioner to write to the forest department to assess all trees in Panaji, identify dangerous trees and submit a report,” Monserrate said.

The minister also said that the trees pruned by the municipal corporation and other authorities during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods were not pruned in a scientific manner.

“What happens is that one side that is crooked is cut off and the other side is left as it is. Then the balance of the tree becomes a problem,” he said.

Monserrate said there is a need to re-evaluate current methods to ensure the safety and health of the city’s trees.

“Once the CCP receives a report from the forest service, we will decide what to do,” he said.

The minister urged people to be careful on the roads and not to park or stop under trees during the monsoon.

Panaji Mayor Rohit Monserrate said the CCP has continued to prune dead and dangerous branches from tall trees in the city to mitigate the risks posed by the ongoing heavy rains that have caused significant disruptions.

“Today’s incident is unfortunate. We spoke to biodiversity experts. They were of the opinion that such incidents can be the result of heavy rainfall combined with concrete formation. Old trees have become weak. What we have observed is that only the healthy trees are falling,” he said.

The mayor said the forest service and other departments will be consulted and the CCP will take necessary measures.