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12-year-old girl dies after snow fort collapses on her and 9-year-old girl

Deep freeze left behind by deadly winter storm
Deep freeze left behind by deadly winter storm in Midwest, Northeast 03:13

A 12-year-old girl died and a 9-year-old girl was hospitalized after a snow fort they built collapsed on them outside a church near Chicago Sunday, police said. The fort collapsed while the girls' families were attending services inside the church in Arlington Heights, Illinois, police said in a statement.

There was no reason to suspect foul play, but an autopsy was scheduled to be conducted Monday, police said. "This appears to be a tragic accident," the statement said.

Family members found the girls buried in the snow about an hour after they went outside the church to play, police said. First responders were dispatched to the church around 2:40 p.m.

Both girls were taken to a hospital, where the 12-year-old girl was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m. The 9-year-old girl was treated for hypothermia and held for observation.

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