At around 11:45 AM, an accident where a cherry blossom tree fell and caused injuries to a tourist occurred in Sannezaka, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City.
The man, a 62-year-old high school teacher from Mie Prefecture, was in charge of leading the school trip when a cherry blossom tree fell on him. This caused several serious injuries, such as broken bones in his waist and legs, which will require several months of treatment.
The fallen tree was a cherry blossom tree about 9 meters high with a trunk circumference of 1.7 meters, grown on the premises of a local restaurant.
The owner of a souvenir shop near the scene shared how they fell suddenly without any signs. “Had there been any signs, we would have noticed and warned others of the possible danger.”
Removal of the tree was commenced and completed by Kyoto City and other authorities, and the road ban was lifted after 5:30 PM.
Source: Rakuten News
