One Dead And Five Injured After Tree Falls On Wedding Party

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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.

According to NBC Los Angeles, the group was taking photos around 4:30 p.m. when the 100-foot-tall tree unexpectedly toppled, trapping around 20 revelers under its branches. More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene, using chainsaws to remove the victims.

“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.

 
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