200-Year-Old Iroko Tree Kills 31 Persons, Leaves 16 Others Injured In Imo State

It was tears and anguish in Umudagu, Mbieri community in Mbaitoli council area of Imo state as no fewer than 31 persons have been confirmed dead following the fall of an ancestral ‘Uko’  tree estimated to have been over 200 years in existence.

The tree which during a rainstorm also left scores of persons injured and about 7 others either buried in the rubble or missing. The size of the disaster was occasioned by the fact that under the tree is a location of a popular night market simply described as “Ukwu Uko market” meaning the market under the ‘Uko’ tree.

Ironically, discussion into the removal of the tree was resumed. The meeting to agree on modality and necessary appeasements to be carried out before its removal was going on in the town hall near the Ukwu Uko market, when the rain began. The meeting was then adjourned due to the rain and our source who said he was part of the meeting said, “Some of us were still on our way home when we heard the tree crashing down. On racing back to see what has happened, we met a massive carnage, a scene of blood and mangled flesh. It was a gory sight. And we tried to help as much as we can. Most of our people did not sleep a wink till this morning, as no effort was spared in saving what could be saved.”

Rescue efforts were hampered by the sheer size of the tree as it took a caterpillar and other heavy-duty machines to move the tree to enable any substantial rescue work.