Falling branch a hazard for festival-goer

A woman ended up in hospital after a large branch fell on a tent she was in at the Kiwiburn festival.

Hunterville fire chief Shane Voelkering said the 20-year-old Canterbury woman was "very lucky" she wasn't lying down when the branch fell about 3.30am yesterday.

"The lady was luckily sitting up . . . it sort of brushed down her back," Mr Voelkering said.

"If she was lying, it probably would have been way more serious."

He estimated the branch was 60cm in diameter by roughly 10m in length. The woman didn't have external injuries but was "definitely in pain".

St John Wanganui territory manager John Stretton said the woman reported pain in her hip. She was taken to Whanganui Hospital.

A hospital duty nurse manager said the woman was in a stable condition.
Kiwiburn is a festival akin to the US's Burning Man.