One person died and five other people suffered injuries Saturday when a large eucalyptus tree fell onto a wedding party as the group posed for photos at a California park, according to authorities.
More than 100 firefighters responded around 5 p.m. to a call about the felled tree in Whittier's Penn Park, The Los Angeles Times reported.
"They were here for a joyous occasion, and, unfortunately, a very large tree interrupted that," said John Tripp, a deputy chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
One woman was killed, according to the Times, and five others were injured.
Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said at a news conference that the group appeared to be on the perimeter of the tree when it fell. Their position meant a majority of the victims' injuries appeared to be minor, although Whittier police said a 4-year-old girl suffered head trauma in the crash. She was in critical condition Saturday night.
Still, Tripp said, "It could have been worse."
"Fortunately, there weren't more people that were injured by the tree collapse," he said.
Witnesses told multiple news stations that they heard the eucalyptus fall before they saw the roughly 60-foot tall tree crash.
"We just heard something crack, like, really hard, and people were yelling," witness Anahi Vazquez, who was taking photos nearby when the tree fell, told KTLA.
Officials told The Orange County Register an arborist will head to Penn Park on Sunday to investigate what felled the tree.
About the Author
