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Wind blast from aircraft downs limbs at ceremony, 10 injured

By Jesse Solomon, CNN
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10 people injured at Memorial Day event
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • 10 people injured at Fleet Week Exhibition
  • Wind blast knocks down tree limbs
  • All the injuries were minor
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New York (CNN) -- The wind blast from a Marine Corps tilt-rotor aircraft performing a Memorial Day demonstration Monday caused tree limbs to fall, leaving 10 people injured.

According to Lauren Schulz of the U.S. Marines, the incident, which occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at Clove Lakes Park on New York's borough of Staten Island, was part of New York City's annual Fleet Week Exhibition, which includes military displays from the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines.

All the injuries were minor, with seven people transported to local hospitals and the rest receiving treatment on the scene, Schulz said.

According to Schulz, the tilt-rotor aircraft, an MV-22 Osprey, was coming in for a landing when the wind generated by its twin propellers emitted enough force to knock the branches off a tree, which was situated 600 feet away. All those injured were spectators, Schulz said.

She said that as is standard with military public displays, medical and fire personnel were already on the ground and prepared to deal with the accident.

The event continued as planned, and crowd goers could be seen touring the aircraft once it was on the ground safely.

According to the Marines website, the MV-22 Osprey is a "tilt-rotor aircraft that combines the vertical flight capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of an airplane." It can carry up to 24 troops at a time.

Hosted almost every year since 1984, Fleet Week "provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today's Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team", according to the event's website.

CNN's Raelyn Johnson contributed to this report