Three people, among them a 10-month-old baby, lost their lives Sunday in northern Germany after powerful winds knocked down a large tree during an Easter egg hunt, authorities said.
The event was taking place in a wooded area near the town of Satrupholm around 11 a.m. when the roughly 100-foot tree suddenly fell onto a group gathered there, according to a police statement reported by the Associated Press. About 50 people had come to the outing from a nearby residential center that serves pregnant women, new mothers, and children.
Four individuals became trapped beneath the fallen tree. Emergency crews treated a 21-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl at the scene, but both died there from their injuries. The woman’s 10-month-old daughter was transported to a hospital, where she later died. An 18-year-old woman was seriously hurt and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.
The residential facility involved is part of a state-funded child welfare program that assists pregnant women and mothers who require support. Following the incident, grief counselors were dispatched to help those affected.
Weather officials had issued a high-wind warning for the region earlier in the day.