Massive tree branch falls on three children at US playground, trapping young girl
Three children were sitting on a park bench at a playground in the northeastern United States when a massive tree branch fell on top of them, leaving a young girl trapped underneath.
It happened on Thursday morning (US Eastern Time) at a playground in the town of Norwood in Massachusetts.
The branch from an old oak tree suddenly came crashing down. It brushed several children, but left one was girl trapped underneath it.
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A young child was left trapped by a fallen branch at a playground in the northeastern US. (WBZ via CNN Newsource) CNN
Witnesses said they heard screams and ran over to the children.
Norwood Police Chief Christopher Padden said the branch was so heavy that firefighters had to use specialised equipment to lift it off a young girl whose leg was trapped.
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"My understanding is they have blocking tools, then they have air pads that will lift up heavy weights. They'll slide them under, just like they would if they were extracting somebody from the car," Padden said.
"The branch was very heavy. It was a very big branch. We were very fortunate that there weren't more kids because that branch landed on somebody it would have been a lot worse."
Padden said if not for a summer camp field trip that was taking place on Thursday, there would have been even more children in the area.
Three children were taken to the hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately released by police, but they are considered to be non-life threatening.
Neighbors said it was windy and raining at the time, but it's not clear if that played a factor in the branch falling.
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