A 63-year-old woman was killed by a Christmas tree that fell due to strong winds in the Belgian province of East Flanders on Thursday evening.
At around 7 p.m., the 20-meter-high tree placed at the Christmas market in Oudenaarde was blown away by a strong gust while three people were under the coniferous tree, Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate the victim, who was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, while the other two people sustained minor injuries.
“The three people who were lying under the tree were taken to the hospital,” Mayor Marnic De Meulemeester told VRT media, lamenting that “unfortunately one of the victims has now died.”
In a video published by local media, we see how the tree collapses despite being firmly planted, recalling that the Christmas tree had already presented stability problems when it was previously installed.
The Flemish public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of this accident, while authorities have decided to close the Christmas market to the public, Belgian media added.