A eucalyptus tree fell on a wedding party in Whittier, California on Saturday, killing one woman and injuring five other people, including a 4-year-old girl.
“I heard the crackling and I’m looking up and it was just an odd sound,” witness Mary Escarga told the station. Another said that the bride was limping slightly, but “screaming about her mom—they couldn’t wake her up.”
According to KTLA5, the tree’s sole casualty was an “older woman” who died on her way to the hospital. Her exact age and identity has not been released.
Of the five hospitalized, one 4-year-old girl remains in critical condition with head trauma. The others suffered minor injuries.
The wedding party was taken to a nearby senior center, where mental health counselors were available to offer their services.
“Fortunately, there weren’t more people injured by the tree collapse,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Deputy Chief John Tripp said during a news conference. “It could have been a lot worse.”
An arborist is in the process of investigating the cause of the tree’s fall.
