At around 10.43 am yesterday, Thursday 11th June, moments of great tension were experienced in Calle Jorge Juan, 19, when a sizeable branch detached from an urban tree and fell directly onto a passenger car travelling through the area.
The medium-sized vehicle was blocked by the huge branch, leaving its two occupants — a man and a woman — trapped inside. The scene was witnessed by several neighbours and passers-by who, alerted by the impact, notified the Alicante Provincial Firefighters Consortium. They quickly mobilised personnel from the Elche fire station to deal with the incident.
A Command and Headquarters Unit (UMJ) and a Heavy Urban Pump (BUP) deployed to the scene, carrying a sergeant, a corporal and four firefighters specialised in cutting casualties out of vehicles and urban rescues. The operation lasted for nearly an hour, concluding successfully at 11.33 am once the area was secured and the remains of the tree were removed.
Firefighters had to use cutting and rescue equipment to open up the back of the car, allowing them to free the two occupants using techniques that prioritised the safety of the victims and the emergency responders.
Although the woman was able to get out on her own feet without serious injuries, the man did require medical attention. He was treated at the scene by emergency services and transferred by ambulance to a medical centre for a more thorough clinical evaluation.
Accidents caused by falling branches on vehicles or people, whilst not frequent, form part of the risks associated with urban trees. Experts in green space management point out that dry branches or weakened trees can pose a danger if they are not properly monitored and maintained as part of the prevention programmes run by local councils and arboricultural technicians.
This intervention highlights the swift response and professionalism of the firefighters and emergency services in Elche, who brought a situation that could have had much more severe consequences under control within a few minutes, offering support, safety and coordination in a context where every second counts.
