FRANKFURT, Germany — In a tragic incident on Sunday, fierce winds led to the collapse of a tree, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including a 10-month-old girl, during an Easter egg hunt in northern Germany, authorities reported.
Approximately 50 participants from a local residential center for mothers and children were gathered in the forest near the town of Satrupholm around 11 a.m. when a towering 100-foot tree came crashing down on them, according to police accounts.
The fallen tree trapped four individuals beneath it. A 21-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl received emergency medical attention but unfortunately succumbed to their injuries on-site. The infant daughter of the 21-year-old was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Another young woman, aged 18, sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to a medical facility.
The residential center, supported by state funding, is part of a child welfare initiative aimed at assisting pregnant women and new mothers in need. In response to the tragedy, grief counselors were dispatched to provide support.
Images released by the Bild news outlet depicted a somber scene, with Easter eggs scattered on the forest floor and two of the deceased covered with white sheets.
The German weather service had issued a warning regarding strong winds in the area at the time of the incident.
Government officials from the Schleswig-Holstein region where the facility was located said they were “deeply shaken” by the accident.
“Our thoughts are with the family members of the dead, with the injured, and with everyone who had to experience this terrible occurrence,” regional Governor Daniel Günther, Interior Minister Magdalena Finke, and Youth and Families Minister Aminata Touré said in a joint statement carried by the dpa news agency.
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