A seven-year-old girl has died and a six-year-old girl is in a critical condition after a tree collapsed in an Essex park.
Three more children received minor injuries and received hospital treatment after the tree fell in Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea, shortly before 3pm on Saturday.
Dozens saw the incident and rushed to try and lift the tree, a witness said.
Accountant Ishan Madan, 39, from Westcliff-on-Sea, was playing in a cricket match nearby when he heard a “horrendous, screeching scream”.
He said: “Everyone ran towards the clubhouse, where the tree is.
“The tree had snapped and I think there were four children, the fifth one was slightly further away, I think she’d be hit by a branch.
“Two of them were under a smaller branch, they were rescued easily, and unfortunately, the other two girls, they were stuck under this massive tree.
“So we got bystanders to help, it must have been 40 to 50 people who then tried to lift the fallen tree up and to our horror, these two little girls, poor girls, were stuck underneath it.
“Their mother was on the corner. It was horrendous.”
Mr Madan said that he had heard the children were walking on a path when the tree fell.
He continued: “You’d never think something like this could happen and there were a lot of people at our club that were shocked, including myself.
“It was horrendous. It was like a nightmare that you’d sort of wake up from and then someone would tell you it wasn’t true. You couldn’t imagine kids walking in the park and something like this happening.”
Chief Superintendent Leighton Hammett of Essex Police said: “Families are facing unimaginable hardship this evening and all of our thoughts are with them at this time.
“I cannot begin to put into words how difficult today’s events have been, and continue to be, for them.
“It’s also not lost on me how traumatic it must have been for the members of the public who witnessed this awful incident.
“Across a matter of moments, many of them went from enjoying the warm summer weather to rushing to the aid of strangers without a second thought.
“They showed the best of Southend today and I’m sorry this update does not bring them more positive news.
“My officers, and our partners with the ambulance and fire service, did all they could to help the two injured children.
“Today’s loss is one they will all take personally.”
An investigation is ongoing to find out what happened.
MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson, said: “The news of the sad death of one of the children involved in the incident at Chalkwell Park today is truly devastating.
“I am sure I reflect the thoughts of all our residents here in Southend in sending my deepest condolences to the child’s family and friends.
“My thoughts are also with the other children injured and I wish them a full and speedy recovery.
“At the time of the incident, the park was very busy and a number of people witnessed what happened.”
