Hundreds of Saigon trees die with chemical traces

Among the hundreds of lush acacia trees along Truong Son Road, six stand out because they're dying. Those six trees are all in front of large advertising billboards.

Photo by A.Q.

Lai, 62, a local citizen said: “About a month ago, some trees started shriveling and then withered. There’s no construction in this area and the watering system still works.”

Another street vendor said: “Every time I pass by the trees, there's a strong smell of chemicals.”

In addition to the trees on Truong Son Road, six other trees along some of Saigon's main streets are suffering the same situation.

An official from the city’s Department of Transport said that they had been notified about the strange deaths of the trees and surrounding chemical odor.

“Local authorities have reported the case to the police. It’s difficult to catch the culprits red-handed but we’ll try our best to investigate and get to the bottom of the matter.”

The department said that it is not easy for them to protect the trees from being “killed” as those responsible usually work at night while the number people guarding the streets is limited.

Under the law, anyone who deliberately removes or cuts down a tree will face a fine of between VND10 million ($450) and VND15 million. They will also have to repair the damage they have caused and pay for a replacement tree.