KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 – The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has cut down 11 coconut trees deemed as posing a risk to road users around Jalan Teluk Kumbar in Bayan Lepas yesterday.

This follows a freak accident on Sunday evening where a coconut fell and hit the pillion rider of a passing motorcycle.

Bayan Lepas state assemblyman Azrul Mahathir Aziz said the woman was riding pillion on the motorcycle with her daughter when the incident took place.

“I, along with some MBPP representatives, identified trees that pose a risk to road users, that needed to be cut down.

“As a safety precaution and to prevent similar incidents happening in the future, we’ve decided to cut down these roadside coconut trees that were considered as a risk to road users.”

He added that a total of 11 coconut trees from Jalan Teluk Kumbar to Sungai Batu, on land under MBPP jurisdiction as well as privately owned land, had been cut down on Monday afternoon.

A 28-second video went viral circulated on social media feeds on Sunday showing the unfortunate woman hit by a falling coconut that knocked her off the motorcycle.

The daughter of the victim, Yaya Ghani, took to Facebook share about the incident.

“Yes, (the woman) who was seen running towards the victim is my sister. Alhamdulillah mama is now conscious and is currently being treated at Hospital Pulau Pinang.

“Her condition is quite bad; she broke her right shoulder and her left arm and had also suffered an injury on her ribs.

“My sister is in stable condition but she’s still in shock. I hope everyone can pray for my mother’s speedy recovery,” she wrote.

An eyewitness in 62-year-old durian seller Md Ghazali Shahari, said that he was attending to his customer when he suddenly heard a loud scream.

He said that he saw the victim on the road, with her helmet rolling away.

“The road was quite busy at that time, me and a few other bystanders immediately went to stop incoming traffic.

“We called the ambulance and had told the others not to move the victim until the medical professionals arrived because we don’t know the extent of her injuries.”

Ghazali said falling coconuts was nothing new there and this was the first time it has resulted in serious injury.