Christmas Tragedy: Woman Killed, Others Injured By Storm-Fallen City Square Tree

A Belgian city cancelled its Christmas market after a local nurse was killed by a falling 20-foot Christmas tree in the city square blown over by Storm Pia.

A 63-year-old woman was killed and two other people received minor injuries on Thursday night after the city Christmas tree in Oudenaarde, Belgium was blown over in a storm. A webcam looking over the historic square caught the moment the tree came down.

It is reported the victim was resuscitated at the scene by medics and was transported to hospital, but later succumbed to her injuries. She is said to have been a local nurse who worked in the city’s hospital for many years.

Prosecutors are investigating, and the city’s Christmas market has been cancelled in mourning for the victim.

The tree had first started to lean two days after it was put up in the city square before Oudenaarde’s magnificent 16th-century gothic town hall and had to be rectified. Local workers straightened the tree and added additional anchors. However, with the arrival of ‘Storm Pia’ in northern Europe this week, the tree caught the wind and snapped above the level of the anchor in a particularly strong gust.

Local news outlet VRT cited the farmer who grew the tree, who said he was “in tears” after he heard of the collapse. Fourth-generation tree farmer Pierre Demesmaeker told the outlet that: “We have been placing Christmas trees everywhere for years, in most major cities in Belgium and the Netherlands. There are Christmas trees at Christmas markets all over Europe. Now one has hit the ground. That is such a great coincidence, but so very sad for those people.

Demesmaeker said the tree had been a good one, the work by the authority’s technical service wasn’t at fault, but that there had been a “combination of sad circumstances”.

Locals called the city to report that the tree was leaning shortly before it collapsed. “About twenty people” rushed to the scene to lift the tree to help those underneath. An eyewitness said one of those who rushed to help was an off-duty nurse who took charge of the situation. He said: “It’s crazy how everyone listened to that lady. She shouted what had to be done and everyone did what she said. She asked to lift the tree, but lifting a tree weighing 5,000 kilograms is not easy. Two slightly injured people were quickly able to get out from under the tree was removed, but a lady with a head injury who was seriously injured could only be helped when the emergency services arrived.”