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Woman dies after tree falls on wedding party in California

Posted at 7:02 PM, Dec 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-18 11:28:55-05

A woman was killed and five others were injured when a large eucalyptus tree fell on a wedding party taking photographs at a Southern California park Saturday, authorities said.

Several people were trapped under the tree at Whittier's Penn Park, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

Video from the scene showed fire crews using chain saws to cut through the downed branches.

Four of the injured suffered scrapes and bruises, officials said. A 4-year-old girl was listed in critical condition due to head trauma, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Witnesses described hearing a loud crack and seeing people run from the area.

The tree could have been weakened by California's ongoing drought and recent heavy rain could have contributed to its fall, officials said.

An arborist will assess the area on Sunday, officials said.

No other details was immediately available.