The tragic end of a family outing in Augsburg: A two-year-old was hit by a falling tree and seriously injured in front of her sister in a playground in the city.
The toddler died on Saturday evening just a few hours after the accident in a hospital, the police said on Sunday.
The children's mother was also seriously injured by the tree and is in a clinic.
According to the information, the 22-month-old girl had played with her mother on the playground in a park on Saturday morning, the five-year-old sister a few meters away.
For reasons unknown so far, the maple tree with a trunk diameter of around 60 to 80 centimeters suddenly fell over.
The mother and child were hit and trapped under the tree.
Before the rescue workers arrived, employees of a company who worked near the playground had lifted the tree with a construction machine and freed the 28-year-old and the child.
The five-year-old, who was unharmed, was later taken into care by her father.
Both were then looked after by a crisis intervention team.
With the help of a tree expert, the police want to find out how the accident came about.
So far it is only known that the tree broke off just above the ground and then tipped over, the police said.
Most of the tree's roots were still in the ground.
"This is so incredible and shocking that there are hardly the right words for it," said Augsburg's mayor Eva Weber, according to a message from Sunday, in which she also thanked the first aiders.
"We are at the side of the family with our thoughts and our help." The city will of course support the investigations of the public prosecutor's office to clarify the cause of the accident.
According to a city spokesman, it is a playground for the city of Augsburg in the Oberhausen district.
The area around the playground was cordoned off by the police. Afterwards, warning signs read: “Do not enter! The safety of people is not guaranteed. "