A lucky pedestrian narrowly escaped death after a huge tree came crashing down during a violent windstorm.
CCTV footage shows the man standing on the pavement as, behind him, the tree began to lean in the powerful gusts.
It ripped up paving stones before toppling directly towards the unsuspecting pedestrian.
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As it fell, it struck a utility pole, sending that crashing down in his direction as well.
At the last second, the man noticed the danger and flinched.
Miraculously, both the pole and the tree trunk missed him by inches, leaving him emerging from between the branches.
He fell to the ground but was back on his feet by the time bystanders rushed over to help.
The lucky escape unfolded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday (29 July).
Moments earlier, the man’s sister, Fabiana, and another woman had crossed the road, as reported by Need To Know.
After getting to his feet, he gestured to reassure Fabiana that he was unharmed as she watched in horror from the opposite side of the street.
Fabiana described his survival as “a true miracle”.
She wrote online: “I’d crossed the road just seconds earlier. When I heard the crash and turned around, I saw my brother lying on the ground with the huge tree on top of him.
“It was absolutely terrifying. I panicked and thought he’d been killed. Then, moments later, I saw him get back to his feet.
“I’m certain God was watching over him and that his guardian angel protected him.”
The storm brought wind gusts of more than 100km/h (62mph) to parts of Rio de Janeiro state, toppling hundreds of trees, cutting power supplies and disrupting trains, the metro system and flights.
Although the man escaped unhurt, the storm proved deadly elsewhere.
Elsewhere in the city, a collapsing wall killed 41-year-old former footballer Tássio Maia dos Santos and Vandré Cordeiro, who worked with him at an events venue.
In another part of Rio de Janeiro, three members of the same family – 57-year-old Juadson Amorim da Silva, 41-year-old Wagner Carvalho de Medeiros and 34-year-old Marcos Antônio Vieira Filho – were electrocuted in the early hours of Thursday (30 July).
Wagner’s and Marcos Antônio’s mother remains in a critical condition in hospital.
In the coastal city of Angra dos Reis, a fisherman was also reported missing.
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