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Girl, 12, dies after snow fort collapses on her and friend in suburban Chicago

Police found the girls under the snow. The younger girl survived.
Image: Residents dig out after a snowstorm in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2019.
Residents dig out after a snowstorm in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2019.Scott Olson / Getty Images

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — A 12-year-old girl has died after a snow fort collapsed while she was playing outside a church on Sunday in suburban Chicago.

Arlington Heights police are calling the death a “tragic accident.”

Police say the girl, Esther Jung, was playing with a 9-year-old girl in the snow outside Rothem Church. Their families began looking for the girls about an hour after they went outside to play.

They found the girls under the snow. The younger girl survived.

Police say it’s unclear how long the girls were trapped. The temperature at the time was about 14 degrees.