Monday, 28 October 2013 - 13:06
Fallen trees kill 1, injure others in Amsterdam
One woman is dead, and her husband is injured, after parts of a tree fell on them as they were walking on the Herengracht in Amsterdam. Another person was badly in a separate incident on the Ceintuurbaan when a tree crashed down onto a car.
A tree crashed over the Herengracht in Amsterdam (Sijbolt Noorda, Twitter)
[The person in the accident on Ceintuurbaan was originally reported by the NL Times as having died at the scene. The passenger's injuries are known to be severe, but the person is still alive. We regret the mistake.]
Ambulance workers tried to resuscitate the woman struck by a large tree on Herengracht, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband suffered head injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
Journalist Mark Hammer witnessed the incident on Herengracht and told Radio 1 that one minute the paramedics were working hard to revive her, and the next minute they covered her with a white sheet. "The person who was standing with her was crying very hard," he said.
On the Ceintuurbaan, a passenger in a car struck by a tree was taken to a hospital with severe injuries from the accident. Earlier reports by news agency ANP that the person died were premature. The passenger's condition is not known.
Strong wind is believed to be the cause of both accidents. Parts of the Netherlands has seen winds over 140 km/h (87 mph). Wind speed over 118 km/h (74 mph) is considered "hurricane force."