Horrifying video shows the moment a giant Christmas tree toppled over during a storm, killing one man and injuring two others as they were getting it ready for the holidays.
The 184ft floating structure, mounted on a lagoon near Rio de Janeiro, came crashing down into the water yesterday afternoon.
The three casualties were workers who had been preparing the tree ahead of its official opening and were trying to reach safety after officials issued a bad weather alert when it collapsed.
Footage of the dramatic moment showed other workers jumping into the water and trying to swim away from the tree before it came down.
A police investigation into the tragedy was continuing today.
The dead man has been named locally as Vinicius dos Santos Abreu, 21.
He was rushed to Conde Modesto Leal Hospital in Marica, a municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro 25 miles away from the city of the same name, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The 184ft floating structure was mounted on a lagoon near Rio de Janeiro
Horrified bystanders watched as the structure buckled beneath the high winds
Menacing storm clouds can be seen in the sky as high winds slammed into the construction
The structure is seen collapsing near a dock on the lagoon as stormy weather batters the area
The two men who were hurt were taken to another hospital where they are said to be ‘out of danger.’
Horrified bystanders watched as the structure buckled beneath the high winds.
In footage of the incident, taken from the beach and nearby road, distant figures can be seen around the base of the giant tree.
It then crumples into the water, setting off a massive wave as it slams into the water.
The 360,000 lights on the Christmas tree were due to be switched on an official opening ceremony tomorrow as one of Marica’s principal tourist attractions.
Town hall chiefs said in a statement overnight: ‘Marica Town Hall deeply regrets the tragedy that occurred yesterday afternoon at Araçatiba Lagoon, when one person died and two were injured after the structure of the Christmas tree that was being assembled collapsed.
‘The Town Hall is providing full support to the victims and their families, as well as investigating the causes of the accident.
‘As soon as Civil Defence issued a warning of heavy rain at 3.45pm yesterday, the company hired to assemble the tree began to remove workers from the area.
The tourist attraction was brought down by the bad weather, resulting in one death
A pile of debris is seen after the collapse of the towering tree
The force of the tree slamming into the water triggered a huge splash and wave
‘At that moment, they were surprised by a storm, with strong winds and heavy rain, which brought down the structure in a few seconds.
‘The victims were immediately rescued by emergency responders who included firefighters and medical staff.
‘One of the employees was taken to the Conde Modesto Leal Municipal Hospital, where he was unable to overcome his injuries and was pronounced dead.
‘The other two people, who were treated at the Doctor Ernesto Che Guevara Municipal Hospital, are out of danger.’
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
