8 injured in Fairmount Park tree collapse

The injured are all in their 60s and were attending WestFest, a West Philadelphia High School class reunion party, police said.

Six people were injured after a tree fell during WestFest, the West Philadelphia High School reunion, in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Sunday afternoon. The reunion continued after the incident.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

by Ximena Conde and Diane Mastrull

Updated Aug. 7, 2022, 6:31 p.m. ET

Published Aug. 7, 2022, 1:50 p.m. ET

A white oak tree estimated to be about 90 years old collapsed in Philadelphia’s West Fairmount Park on Sunday afternoon, injuring eight people who were attending a high school reunion party, according to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

The tree fell just before 12:30 p.m. on North Georges Hill Drive near the Mann Center and Belmont Plateau.

Initially, police reported six people injured, all ages 66 to 67. However, once the Philadelphia Fire Department arrived at the scene, a total of eight people were found in need of treatment. One person had to be removed from under the tree, according to a spokesperson for the Fire Department. Ages of the two additional victims were not released.

All were taken to local hospitals in stable condition, according to police.

WestFest, an annual reunion for graduates of West Philadelphia High School held the first Sunday in August, was temporarily disrupted after the tree fell in the food section reserved for the Class of 1973.

Witnesses said a crack resembling that of an “explosion” was heard above the sounds of music and grilling.

The extent of the injuries was not immediately clear to revelers, though witnesses said one of the injured men waved from the gurney that carried him away.

Les Crawley, 67, was among the dozens of 1973 grads who stuck around and continued mingling with other classes.

”We’re still out here enjoying this but it’s not the same,” he said about 2 p.m., grateful that the injuries were not far worse.

Parks and Recreation arborists were assessing the fallen tree’s condition Sunday afternoon and cooperating with the police investigation, spokesperson Maita Soukup said.

“We are committed to providing safe, welcoming outdoors spaces for thousands of residents to gather each summer,” Soukup said.

By Sunday evening the tree had been cleared from the site by Parks and Rec arborists, she said.

Late last year, an iconic sugar maple tree on Belmont Plateau estimated to be 80 to 100 years old, and which served as a backdrop to many city skyline pictures taken from the park, was cut down by Parks and Rec. It had been dying for more than a year and was dropping limbs, becoming a safety hazard.

Staff writer Michelle Myers contributed to this article.