Century-old tree topples over and crushes devotee at Thai temple

A 100-year-old tree fell over and crushed a devotee at a temple.

Sunantha Prompao, 22, was parking her red Honda Scoopy motorcycle at the carpark when the massive mango tree was uprooted and crashed on top of her at the Wat Bunyuen Temple in Phayao province, Thailand, on August 29.

Police Major Jumpol Mueangma of the Pong District Police Station said cops received a report at 1:40pm.

He said: 'We believe the cause of the accident was heavy rain, which had loosened the soil under the mango tree/ This led to the tree tilting over and falling in front of the assembly hall. It toppled onto the woman and killed her.'

Authorities arrived to clear the scene. They removed the branches and boughs strewn about and found Sunantha prostrated on the ground under the mango tree's massive trunk.

Blood was pooling around her head while her overturned motorcycle lay nearby.

Sunantha's body underwent a post-mortem examination before before being handed over to her family.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are in their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms in the afternoon leading to widespread flash floods.