Tree falls during Easter egg hunt in northern Germany; 3 killed

Three people, including a baby and a teenager, were killed and another person was seriously injured when a tree fell on a group during an Easter egg hunt in northern Germany, according to police.

The accident happened shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday near Satrup, a community in Schleswig-Holstein state near Germany’s border with Denmark, according to German broadcaster NDR, citing police.

A group of about 50 residents and staff from a nearby assisted-living facility had gone into a wooded area for an Easter egg hunt when a tree about 30 meters (98 feet) tall toppled over.

Police said the casualties were a 21-year-old woman, her 10-month-old daughter and a 16-year-old girl. An 18-year-old woman was seriously injured and taken by helicopter to a hospital, where she underwent surgery and was reported to be out of danger.

Several other people suffered minor injuries, according to emergency officials. About 80 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.

Police said strong wind gusts were believed to have caused the tree to fall, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Authorities were also looking into whether the tree was already rotting.