A 12-year-old died near Rothem Church after being crushed by a snow fort (Image: Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images)
The 12-year-old daughter of an American pastor died yesterday morning while playing in a snow fort in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Esther Jung of Elk Grove Village. The tragedy took place just a few metres away from Esther’s father, the pastor of the Rothem Church.
Investigators said the girls left the church to dig the fort in a snowbank nearby while their parents were inside the building to attend the Sunday services.
The structure suddenly crumbled down on them, trapping the girls for approximately one hour, according to police reports.
Their parents came out from Rothem Church to look for them as they were worried after not seeing them return.
Current local temperatures range between -7C and -11C (Image: GETTY)
