Photo: Uko tree kills 31, injures many in Imo State

Tears and anguish is the best way to describe what happened Thursday night 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 fell around 8pm, Thursday night, 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 described as “Ukwu Uko market” meaning the market under the ‘Uko’ tree.

The market usually started at about 3pm everyday and terminated at about 9.30pm or 10pm.
The tree, had been a source of concern to the youths of the village who had repeatedly called for its removal to no avail. Elders of the community had described the tree as an ancestral landmark that should not be removed. May their souls rest in peace.