SHIZUOKA, Japan - Seven people were taken to a hospital after a tree fell onto a sports ground in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, during a soccer tournament for elementary school children on Sunday, local authorities said.
Two preschool girls were slightly injured, while five women in their 30s to 40s are believed to have suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious, though none are life-threatening.
Police received an emergency call at around 12:05 p.m. reporting that a tree, about 20 meters in height, had fallen and people were injured. The seven appeared to have been parents and children who had come to watch a match, according to the authorities.
Rain fell in Gotemba on Saturday night, but no rainfall was observed in the city the following day. A parent said the ground was hosting the soccer tournament for two days from Saturday.
A cracking sound was heard during the match before the tree fell to the ground, a person who witnessed the incident said. The scene was temporarily chaotic, with several ambulances arriving and a medical helicopter transporting one of the injured.
The sports ground is part of a resort complex that also has a hotel, hot spring facilities and tennis courts.
