Several children injured on school trip after huge branch falls from tree in Polish gorge

Several children have been injured after a large branch broke from a tree and fell on a group of 47 people in Poland.

Polish police said emergency services were called to Korzeniowy Gorge at around 10am on Thursday.

The group hit by the branch included 43 children aged 11 to 12 and their four caregivers who were on a school trip from the country’s capital Warsaw.

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Local firefighters said 13 people are injured, including three who are seriously hurt. The police force said two children and a group caregiver have been transported to hospital.

One child was taken to hospital via helicopter, and the other by ambulance. Some were treated on the scene.

Marcin Babula, duty officer for Lublin firefighters, told Polish news agency PAP that those who were seriously injured had likely suffered broken limbs, while ten people had lighter injuries.

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Policja Puławska said in a statement: “Today, at about 10:08 a.m. in the Korzeni Gorge on Doły Street in Kazimierz Dolny, a branch which broke off from a tree fell on a group of 47 people from Warsaw (43 children aged 11-12) and their 4 carers.

“Rescue operations are underway at the scene, one child was transported by LPR helicopter to a hospital in Lublin, two by ambulance to a hospital in Puławy, the remaining people, including caregivers, are being helped on the spot.”

Korzeniowy Dol Gorge is a 400m long and several metre deep gorge in Kazimierz Dolny, a historic town in eastern Poland.

It is described as as a “fairy-tale” and “Tolkien” landscape, attracting tourists from all over the country. It takes about 30 minutes to cross the ravine, according to local tourist sites.