New video shows the chaotic moments after a large tree fell on top of wedding party in Whittier. Kate Larsen reports for the NBC4 News at 11 on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (Published Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016) 
 
 New Video Shows Moments After Tree Fell on Wedding Party 
 
 One person was killed and five others were injured after a large tree fell on top of a wedding party at a Southern California park on Saturday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. 
 
 Multiple people were trapped after a tree toppled over around 4:30 p.m. in Whittier's Penn Park, fire officials said. 
 
 "I heard the crackling and I'm looking up and it was just an odd sound," witness Mary Escarga told NBC4. 
 
 A wedding party was taking pictures after the ceremony when a 100-foot tall eucalyptus tree fell, trapping up to 20 people, the fire department said. Chainsaws were used to remove those who were trapped underneath the tree's branches. 
 
 Bride's Mother Killed After Tree Falls on Wedding Party 
 
 The mother of the bride was killed when a tree fell on a wedding party in Whittier. Kate Larsen reports for the NBC4 News at 9 on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (Published Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016) 
 
 One person was killed and five people, including a young girl, were injured. The five people who were injured suffered minor and moderate injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment. They are expected to recover. 
 
 2 trees fell during a wedding at Penn Park, multiple people injured... pic.twitter.com/zuVf9h60TN — pat (@ChiefPat_) December 18, 2016 
 
 "The scene was very chaotic," said Sgt. Jason Zuhlke of the Whittier Police Department. 
 
 Rene Zaldivar, who was at the park for a quinceañera, said he saw the bride during the chaos. 
 
 "She was limping a little bit, but she was screaming about her mom – they couldn’t wake her up." 
 
 A search dog was brought in to search for additional victims who could still be trapped. 
 
 "Fortunately, there weren't more people injured by the tree collapse," John Tripp, a Los Angeles County Fire Department deputy chief, said at a news conference. "It could have been a lot worse." 
 
 Police Guard Park After Tree Falls on Wedding Party, Killing 1 
 
 Police were on guard the morning after a tree crashed down on a wedding, killing one person and injuring five others. Marin Austin reports for Today in LA Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (Published Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016) 
 
 The wedding party was taken to a nearby senior center where mental health counselors were made available to them. 
 
 Officials could not confirm that the heavy rains reported Friday evening played a factor in the tree collapse. 
 
 Arborists are expected to investigate why the tree fell. 
 
 The identity of the person who was killed has not yet been released. 
 
 NBC4's Kate Larsen contributed to this report. ||||| Seven members of a wedding party, including the 4-year-old girl, were injured and one died when a huge eucalyptus tree fell on them at Penn Park in Whittier, Calif. Saturday evening according to LACo fire officials. The park, located on Penn Street near Whittier College, is still closed to the public for the investigation. Dec. 19, 2016. (Leo Jarzomb, SGV Tribune/ SCNG) 
 
 WHITTIER >> City employees surveyed Penn Park for leaning trees and broken branches, but found no safety issues, hours before a massive eucalyptus tree toppled onto a wedding party, killing a 61-year-old grandmother and injuring seven others. 
 
 “We have been a Tree City USA for more than 30 years, and take care to manage our urban forest,” Whittier City Manager Jeff Collier said Monday following a press conference at the park. “It’s very rare that this would happen.” 
 
 Witnesses reported the group was taking pictures beneath the 80- to 90-foot-tall tree at the park on Penn Street, around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when it suddenly uprooted and fell, trapping about 20 people. 
 
 On Monday, arborists were inspecting the tree to determine what caused it to fall. Collier said they were checking for disease or rot, soil stability and the health of the roots. 
 
 The tree was more than 50 years old and was last pruned two years ago, said Collier, who called the incident a “freakish situation.” 
 
 Collier said city employees had given a routine visual inspection of the park the morning before the tree fell and found “no apparent issues.” The wedding party did not have a permit to take photos at the park and city staff were not on site at the time. 
 
 It wasn’t clear when the experts would come to a conclusion about the cause of the collapse, which was ruled an accident by Los Angeles County Fire Department officials. 
 
 Coroner’s officials identified the woman who died as Margarita Mojarro, 61, of San Pedro. Officials did not know whether the woman was related to the bride or the groom. She was a mother of four and grandmother of four, according to a family member, who asked for privacy. 
 
 City, fire and police officials did not have an update on the condition of a 4-year-old girl who was hospitalized in critical condition or the six other adults who were injured by the tree collapse. 
 
 “Saturday’s tragic accident at Penn Park defies explanation,” Mayor Joe Vinatieri said in a written statement Monday. “The city is investigating and inspecting the park, and will provide answers to many of the questions we all have, including what effect the drought, Friday’s heavy rainfall and other factors may have played in this terrible accident. Those answers will be provided to the family, and our community, as soon as possible.” ||||| WHITTIER >> The Whittier community grieved Sunday as authorities continued their investigation into what caused a massive eucalyptus tree to topple onto a wedding party at Penn Park in Whittier on Saturday night, leaving one woman dead and seven other people injured, including a 4-year-old girl who was hospitalized in critical condition. 
 
 Witnesses reported the group was taking pictures beneath the 100-foot-tall tree at Penn Park, 13950 Penn Street, when it suddenly uprooted and fell, transforming what began as a celebration into a scene of tragedy. 
 
 The identity of the woman killed in the freak accident was not yet available Sunday, Los Angeles County Department of Medical-Examiner Investigator Rudy Molano said. The relationships between the woman who died, as well as the badly injured child, to the bride and groom were unclear. 
 
 “The important thing is to focus on the family, to let them know that this community is behind them, and that we’re praying for them,” Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said. 
 
 • Related Story: 1 killed, child critical after tree topples onto wedding party at Whittier park 
 
 “It was supposed to be one of the most exciting days of their lives, and instead, it turned into what it turned into,” he said. 
 
 “There’s so many people in Whittier. … Who are upset, as am I, asking, ‘What can we do?’” the mayor said. “The best we can do right now is pray for that family and pray for that child, and let the family know that we care.” 
 
 Penn Park will remain closed to the public indefinitely as authorities investigate what caused the large eucalyptus tree to fall, City Manager Jeff Collier said. 
 
 An arborist is expected to inspect the scene today or Tuesday, he said. 
 
 It was too early to say what may have caused the tree to fall, according to Collier. 
 
 “We can’t speculate until we have the arborist come out here and investigate,” he said. 
 
 Until then, officials will not remove the debris. 
 
 “We want to preserve the scene at this point. We want to make sure we have a chance to see everything as it exists today,” Collier said. 
 
 While the city already has an ongoing program to maintain and inspect trees, officials are also in the process of double-checking the integrity of the many other towering trees in Penn Park, City Manager Jeff Collier said. 
 
 • Photos: Tree falls on wedding party at Whittier park killing one 
 
 Police guarded the scene to keep away trespassers Sunday morning, as crews went through the debris to retrieve belongings of the victims. 
 
 The park, which is staffed by city officials seven days a week, is a popular site with wedding parties and other celebrations. Groups can often be seen posing for pictures beneath the park’s giant trees. 
 
 “What’s intrinsically wonderful about it is those trees,” Vinatieri said. 
 
 As the investigation progresses, “the important thing is to focus on that family,” Vinatieri said. “There’s an outpouring of concern, sadness and prayer.” 
 
 Injuries due to sudden tree falls are uncommon, but not unheard of in the region. 
 
 Eight children were injured, two of them critically, when an 85-foot-tall Italian stone pine tree toppled over at the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena on July 28, 2015. 
 
 That incident also occurred following a bout of heavy rain amid years of drought. 
 
 Saturday’s accident in Whittier took place within days of Southern California’s first significant storm of the season. 
 
 An arborist concluded the tree in Pasadena likely fell because it was taking in more water than it could release, increasing its weight, coupled with weak roots on two sides of the tree. 
 
 The family of 6-year-old twins injured in the incident have since filed a lawsuit against the museum alleging the incident was the result of negligence and failure to maintain the tree. Kidspace Museum subsequently filed a claim against the city of Pasadena, arguing that the city is liable for any legal costs or damages associated with the incident.
– "It’s just again showing that the vegetation in southern California is still very stressed from the drought we’ve had for five years." So said LA County Fire Department Deputy Chief John Tripp in the wake of a Saturday tragedy in Whittier, reports USA Today: A family was taking wedding photos in Penn Park near a 100-foot-tall eucalyptus tree when it uprooted and fell, trapping some of the party underneath. A woman was killed and five others, including 4-year-old girl, injured in the incident, which happened at 4:30pm local time, reports the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The relationship of the woman and girl to the bride and groom has not been released. NBC Los Angeles reports as many as 20 people were trapped under the tree, and chainsaws were used to extricate them. A witness shared this wrenching observation about the bride: "She was limping a little bit, but she was screaming about her mom—they couldn’t wake her up." An arborist will investigate Monday or Tuesday. NBC notes it rained heavily the previous night.