A WOMAN was crushed to death by a 65ft Christmas tree during a violent Storm Pia in Belgium.
Two more people got injured in the incident at the Christmas market in the Oudenaarde, east of Brussels.
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The victim suffered head injuries and was resuscitated, but ultimately died in the hospital.
Two other women were lightly injured after they were trapped under the tree but were freed by bystanders.
Security camera footage showed a brightly lit 65 feet Christmas tree slowly leaning over and collapsing next to a Christmas market.
The strong gusts of wind pushed it towards the busy winter village with several children’s attractions.
Dozens of visitors were present and some onlookers were hit by the falling tree.
One witness told Nieuwsblad: “Suddenly the Christmas tree blew down and people ran away. I also saw that some people had ended up under the tree.”
Police, fire brigade and medical services rushed to the scene en masse.
A spokesperson for the Oost-Vlaanderen province prosecutor said: “The investigation will focus on whether the tree had been properly secured and will also look at the impact of the weather.”
The Christmas market has been shut down for the rest of the holidays, the city council announced.
Mayor Marnic De Meulemeester said: “Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim.”
No information is yet provided about the woman’s identity or the other victims.
The violent storm hit western Belgium, where the weather service issued a yellow code warning for the coastal areas.
Storm Pia also left a trail of destruction in the UK with many major transport routes affected by 80mph gusts.
Motorways, airports and rail stations all suffered severe disruption from speed restrictions, crosswinds and falling trees.
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