Fatal Accident: Woman Fatally Injured by Falling Christmas Tree
A tragic incident happened in the Belgian city of Oudenaarde on Thursday evening, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to two others after a massive Christmas tree toppled over, as reported by authorities on Friday.
On Friday, authorities disclosed that a woman lost her life, and two individuals sustained injuries when a towering Christmas tree, measuring 20 meters (65.62 ft) in height, collapsed near a Christmas market on the historic town square.
Security camera footage from Belgian news media captured the illuminated tree slowly tilting and falling beside a merry-go-round in the bustling square.
According to a spokesperson for the prosecutor of Oost-Vlaanderen province, the victim was identified as a 63-year-old resident of Oudenaarde. Additionally, two women from the same town suffered minor injuries during the incident.
The ongoing investigation will scrutinize whether the Christmas tree had been adequately secured and assess the influence of the prevailing weather conditions.
The spokesperson highlighted that particular attention will be given to determining if Storm Pia, which had caused disruptions in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands the previous day, played a role in the tree’s collapse.
The weather service had issued a yellow code warning for coastal areas in western Belgium due to the impact of Storm Pia on Thursday.
