A tree suddenly broke and collapsed over a playground full of children and parents, in the Youth Park in the Capital. No one was injured, although the broken trunk, over 7 meters long and probably several hundred kilograms, fell directly over a cradle in which a child was. The metal structure of the swing stopped the impact. Witnesses say everything happened in seconds, without any warning.
The child in the cradle was not injured. Photo: Facebook / Youth Community Action
“There was a loud noise, he fell over a child, he was a child in the cradle and I actually went to help the little girl.” said a woman in the park, according to Observer News. The child was not injured.
After the incident, the area was immediately isolated by firefighters and police, who started checks. The playground was temporarily closed, and the massive piece of tree was removed.
Parents and grandparents present in the park say that this is not the first time that trees break in the area and they ask the authorities to take urgent measures:
“It happened on the other side. Even at this tree a branch has fallen.”
“There are no trees at all. They all seem to be cared for.”
“It is normal to fear, when you go out with the nephew or child.”
City Hall: “The tree was green and it didn't seem like a danger”
The City Hall, which manages the Youth Park, transmitted that the crashed shaft did not show signs of degradation and was not marked for deforestation:
“The tree was not necessary. Being green, it was not considered a danger. Such phenomena cannot be fully anticipated.”
However, the authorities recognize that in the last two years almost 400 applications have been submitted for cutting some trees in the park, and in the next period the checks will be intensified in the crowded areas and near the playgrounds.
