Officials said that the falling tree at the graduation ceremony at Diablo Valley College was injured at least dozens of passers -by on Friday evening, as the crowds gathered to celebrate in 2025.
The accident occurred shortly before 7:00 pm near the football field, just as the start ceremony was approaching its end.
According to the Contra Costy Fire Protectation, none of the life -threatening injuries seems to be a great response.
The emergency sets were already on the site as part of the school's standard protocol and managed to quickly attend the injured.
College officials said that none of the injured individuals were graduating from students, as most of them were around the main theater at the time of the accident.
Of the about 12 people who were injured, officials said only three individuals sought an additional treatment in a local hospital.
Diablo Valley College expressed its regret for the accident during what was expected to be a festive evening.
“The safety of our students, our employees and visitors to the campus is our maximum priority. We regret that this incident occurred during this special occasion. We congratulate all 2442 graduates and we wish them happy celebrations with their loved ones this evening,” the school employees said.
The officials said that the cause of the collapse was still under investigation and did not give any indications if the tree is age or if the weather played a role.
The near weather control site, which is outside Auckland, indicated that the winds are heading to more than 30 miles per hour at the time of the event.
Despite the unexpected event, officials said the graduation ceremony was able to conclude, and school operations were not affected.
The school staff stated: “The circumstances surrounding this incident began and will continue in the coming days.”
