Storm uproots 800 trees

Typhoon Prapiroon knocked over almost 800 trees and damaged more than 1,600.

Among them was a tree registered as 'old and valuable' - a Chinese banyan at Ap Lei Chau that was uprooted and beyond saving, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said.

More than 100 workers in 17 teams were doing emergency work yesterday.

The biggest tree-destroyer was Typhoon Dujuan in 2003, which wiped out 1,797 and left 13,000 to be rescued. Dujuan was a No9 storm, while Prapiroon was a No3.

The department said the 700,000 trees under routine government maintenance included 526 registered as old and valuable and 200,000 planted between 2000 and 2005. Young trees are less able to withstand high winds.