Malaga 112: Two young women hurt as tree branch falls

The emergency services received the call at 3.32pm. The victims are 23-year-old Sheila and 21-year-old Sumaya. They were sitting on a bench on Calle Pedro Gómez Sancho when the branch unexpectedly fell on them.

"It was a split second. We heard a crack and the eucalyptus trunk was on top of us. I managed to get up, but Sumaya stayed crouched down and it hit her squarely on the neck and back," Sheila told SUR.

Sheila tried to lift the log that was pinning her unconscious friend down, but she couldn't. It was as big as a tree and the force of its weight had actually split the metal bench they were sitting on in two. "Some neighbours rushed to help us, but they couldn't get it off her until the fire brigade arrived," Sheila said.

Sumaya's mother, Asmaa Ghanou, nearly fainted when she saw the image of the branch that had fallen on her daughter. "She's still in very bad shape. The doctors are figuring out how to operate because both her shoulder blades are broken and one of them is embedded in her lung," the mother told SUR.

"What fell on my daughter wasn't just a branch, it was almost an entire tree," Asmaa said.

Still deeply shaken by the accident, Sheila said she had sustained injuries to her "back, neck and face". She, however, is more concerned about Sumaya: "I hope she can recover as soon as possible. We're alive by a miracle."

The fire brigade, the Local Police and the emergency medical services attended to the two women at the scene.

The parks and gardens department of the city council also arrived. According to the authorities, the tree showed no visible damage and was classified as posing a low risk of falling, following an inspection carried out in October 2025.

"In any case, the causes of this structural failure of the branch, which shows no apparent signs of disease, will be investigated. The rest of the trees in the area will be inspected," a city council spokesperson said.

When the accident happened, Sumaya had just started working as an administrative assistant at a driving school after finishing her studies. "She was so excited, but this has ruined everything," Asmaa said.

Saturday midday was intensely hot, but there was no wind. The two women's families and neighbours have confirmed that it is not the first time one of the large branches of the tall eucalyptus trees has broken and fallen.

"One fell once before and luckily no one was hit. We, the residents, have been calling the city council for three years to come and check the trees, but they never come," Sheila stated.

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