At least two people have been hit after a huge fig tree fell in Sydney’s centre amid strong winds.
The large tree in Hyde Park crashed to the ground across a footpath and on to a busy street at about 3pm on Friday.
The police officers who were first on the scene combed through a sea of branches and foliage to determine if anyone had become trapped underneath.
Emergency services said no one appeared to have been seriously injured in the incident.
Two people with minor injuries were taken to the nearby St Vincent’s hospital for treatment, a New South Wales ambulance spokesperson said.
The tree on the park’s edge, near St James station, appeared to have split in two before crashing across the nearby footpath.
Two people were hit by the branches and knocked to the ground while onlookers ran to their aid, according to one witness.
The man, who identified himself as Chris, said he was walking along Elizabeth Street when he heard the crack of the tree and saw it crash on to a woman.
“There was a gust of wind and the tree has just fallen,” he said. “A lady was in the middle of it. If she had been a few metres back or a few metres forward it would have ended a lot worse.
“But she walked away with a couple of scratches, so she got really lucky. It’s such a high traffic area but everyone got away, luckily.”
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Emergency services, including at least three ambulance crews, were sent to the scene with police diverting vehicles as the tree blocked two lanes of southbound traffic.
Police rescue crews were considering whether to chop the tree into pieces in order to clear the road.
Staff from the nearby Sheraton hotel ran across the road to help victims and search for anyone else who had been injured.
Onlookers were warned to stay away from other trees out of fears they could also fall.