A South African mother escaped injury but her teenage daughter was killed when a large tree fell, crushing their shack on Tuesday at Emsagweni in Witbank, Mpumalanga.

Police spokesperson Russel Meiring said local authorities and the fire department were already on scene when paramedics arrived.

“On closer inspection, medics found a large tree had crushed part of a small shack. A 14-year-old girl was found inside the shack,” he said.

“Medics assessed the girl and found she had sustained numerous injuries and showed no signs of life. Nothing could be done for her and she was declared dead.

“The mother, who had been inside when the tree fell, was assessed and found to have escaped injury.”