July 6 (UPI) — Authorities said 19 people in Maryland were rushed to local hospitals after a tree collapsed on a detached garage with more than 20 people inside seeking shelter from a thunderstorm.
The Anne Arundel County Fire Department said Sunday evening that 17 adults and two children were transported to five local hospitals in Pasadena, about 20 miles southeast of Baltimore, with one person in critical condition and five others suffering from serious injuries. Thirteen others were transferred with only minor injuries, the statement said.
Capt. Russ Davies, a spokesman for the fire department, told reporters they received calls that the tree fell on the garage at around 5:25 p.m.
Firefighters arrived at the residence to find six people trapped under the crushed building but were able to extract them within 45 minutes, the fire department said on Twitter.
Earlier Sunday, the National Weather Service had issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the area that lasted until 5:45 p.m.
An official said the group is believed to have been at the residence to celebrate a child’s birthday party when they sought shelter in the garage from the brief yet powerful storm.
