Four injured as tree falls on Wollongong playground during festival

The kaffir plum fell in MacCabe Park shortly before 3pm on Sunday, April 21 during the Eid Festival hosted by Masjid As-Salaam, the Berkeley mosque.

Paramedics attended and assessed four patients suffering minor injuries, before taking them to Wollongong Hospital.

They included two women in their 40s, a women in her 30s, and a young girl.

A Wollongong City Council spokesperson asked people to avoid the area.

"Following the incident being reported to council, staff went to the site to ensure the area was made safe and to coordinate the tree's removal early Monday morning by experienced arborists," they said.

"In addition to the clean-up works, which may require sections of the playground to be removed and assessed for damage, council will also carry out a comprehensive review of the tree and the incident."

Masjid As-Salaam committee member Ali Abu Abdullah said everyone was enjoying the day when suddenly they heard the tree falling.

"It happened very quickly, but also felt like it was happening in slow motion," he said.

He said it was otherwise a good day and was glad those injured weren't hurt more seriously, adding that the mosque would check in on them.

Billal Mattar said he was at a stall getting food when he heard a cracking sound before the tree fell.

He was afraid because of the children around, he said, and ran to lift the tree.

The Muslim community celebrates Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, a holy month during which people fast between dawn and dusk.