Lucky escape for bystanders as tree falls on Kannadasan Street in T Nagar

CHENNAI: Several bystanders had a lucky escape when the trunk of an old tree, weighing at least two tonne, came crashing down on Kannadasan Street in T Nagar here on Sunday.
Eyewitnesses told TOI that there were no signs the tree had weakened. "Suddenly, there was a lot of noise like someone had set off firecrackers. The next moment I saw this big tree had crashed to the ground just a few feet away from me," said an autorickshaw driver.
Two cars and an autorickshaw were caught under the fallen tree, but the public managed to pull out one car and the auto rickshaw.
Bystanders consuming beverages from a nearby tea shop said the tree might have crashed as it weakened. "The tree is rooted inside a city corporation playground nearby. I cannot imagine what would have happened had it crashed inside the playground where there were children playing," said Arun Kumar, a bystander.