Two killed by falling tree branch in Vietnam

Hanoi: Two people were killed and three others injured after a large tree branch fell onto a group of elderly people exercising early Friday morning in a park in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, local media reported.

Le Duc Thanh, chairman of district 1 People's Committee, said two people aged 62 and 60 died on the spot at Tao Dan park.

Three others aged between 60 and 70 were sent to local hospitals for emergency, Xinhua news agency reported quoting VnExpress.

"The branch that caused the incident was still fresh, and there were no signs of disease or pest infestation beforehand," Thanh said.

A representative from Ho Chi Minh City Greenery Parks Co. Ltd reported that the tree is around 20 meters tall while the fallen branch is nearly 10 meters long and around 20-30 cm.

The branch fell when it was not rainy or windy.

Among three injured women, one is suffering from traumatic brain injury while another has been diagnosed with a fractured cervical vertebra.