Man, 21, killed in 184ft Christmas tree collapse as others desperately swim to safety

A giant Christmas tree collapsed during a storm, killing one man and injuring two others - shocking footage captures the moment when the 184ft structure collapses

A 21-year-old man has been killed and two others injured after a giant Christmas tree came crashing down during a storm.

The 184ft structure, built on a lagoon near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, toppled over into the water on Monday afternoon. Three workers who had been erecting the tree ahead of its official opening were trying to reach safety when they were struck by the structure.

Meteorologists had issued a weather warning ahead of the structure’s collapse. Footage of the dramatic moment shows other workers jumping into the water and trying to swim away from the tree before it came down.

A police investigation into the tragedy has been opened and is currently ongoing. The man who was killed has been named locally as Vinicius dos Santos Abreu. He was rushed to Conde Modesto Leal Hospital in Marica, but was pronounced dead on arrival. The two men who were hurt were taken to another hospital where they are said to be “out of danger”.

A grand opening ceremony had been planned, which would have seen the tree’s 360,000 lights turned on on Wednesday. Town hall chiefs said in a statement overnight: “Marica Town Hall deeply regrets the tragedy that occurred yesterday afternoon at Araçatiba Lagoon, when one person died and two were injured after the structure of the Christmas tree that was being assembled collapsed.

“The Town Hall is providing full support to the victims and their families, as well as investigating the causes of the accident. As soon as Civil Defence issued a warning of heavy rain at 3.45pm yesterday, the company hired to assemble the tree began to remove workers from the area.

“At that moment, they were surprised by a storm, with strong winds and heavy rain, which brought down the structure in a few seconds. The victims were immediately rescued by emergency responders who included firefighters and medical staff.

“One of the employees was taken to the Conde Modesto Leal Municipal Hospital, where he was unable to overcome his injuries and was pronounced dead. The other two people, who were treated at the Doctor Ernesto Che Guevara Municipal Hospital, are out of danger.”