According to Vasco Fire Station Station Fire Officer (SFO) Dilip Bicholkar, the fire service received an emergency call from the Panaji Control Room at around 8.28 am.
"We received a call that a tree had fallen and a person was trapped. Our Vasco fire station team reached the spot within seven minutes. When we arrived, we found the rider trapped beneath the tree, and he was dead on the spot," Bicholkar said.
He added that firefighters immediately extricated the body and shifted it to an ambulance before beginning the clearance operation.
"We called in a crane to remove the fallen tree. It took us around an hour to clear the obstruction and restore traffic on the road," he said.
The incident led to long traffic queues along the busy stretch as emergency personnel worked to remove the massive tree.
Meanwhile, a local resident blamed repeated inaction by authorities despite years of warnings about hazardous trees along the highway.
"For the past three years, we, along with the talathi and electricity departments, have repeatedly identified dangerous trees and submitted reports, but no action has been taken," the resident alleged.
He further claimed that road widening and vertical hill cutting along the National Highway had left several large trees dangerously exposed.
"The hills were cut vertically, but the large trees were left standing on the edge. During the monsoon, the soil gets washed away, the roots weaken, and the trees eventually fall," he said.
Pointing to another large tree standing beside the accident site, the resident warned that it also posed a serious threat.
"One tree has already fallen and claimed a life. Another equally dangerous tree is right next to it. What happens if that falls too?" he questioned.
The resident also recalled a previous fatal incident on the same road in which a woman lost her life after a coconut tree collapsed.
"I urge the Collector and the concerned authorities to immediately identify and remove dangerous trees. With the monsoon intensifying, people's lives are at risk. Action must be taken before another tragedy occurs," he said.
