Varde Municipality Increases Supervision After Tree Accident
Varde Municipality has decided to intensify the supervision of the trees around the outdoor stage in Arnbjerg, after a branch from a large beech tree fell down onto the spectator seating and stage during a summer play. 1700 people, including spectators, actors, and volunteers, were evacuated shortly before the accident, and no one was injured.
Municipal director Henning Haahr Pedersen stated that the tree fell due to a “tvege,” which is a cleft between two branches or between a branch and the tree’s trunk, making it difficult to detect the problem beforehand. The cleft was located nine meters above the ground, further complicating an early discovery.
“It is immediately difficult to see what we could have done differently. But in the future, we will intensify our supervision and carry out an additional round before new events are set in motion,” says Henning Haahr Pedersen. He emphasizes that similar events have taken place for many years, and it is crucial that such incidents do not reoccur.
At present, it is unclear how exactly the supervision should be improved, but the plan is to make it more systematic.
After the evacuation, the 1700 individuals were offered psychological help, and according to Henning Haahr Pedersen, between five and ten people have taken advantage of this offer. Primarily, it involves parents seeking help on behalf of their children. The municipal director believes that the psychological help was an appropriate step, as the incident was dramatic for those involved.
Varde Municipality expects that additional individuals will seek help in the coming days. It has not been determined if any of the actors or volunteers have needed psychological assistance, but they have been offered help through the theater behind the summer play, 7-kanten.
On Monday afternoon, Varde Municipality announced in a press release that all trees near the outdoor stage have been examined by an external specialist. The conclusion is that all the trees are healthy, although one tree has been crown secured to increase safety.
The actors from 7-kanten are expected to be back on stage Tuesday evening.