Fifteen persons, including two sisters, were killed when a tree at the Ukwu Uko evening market at Umuejinwaoke Umudagu village, Mbieri, Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State, fell on them. The 400-year-old ancestral tree fell down at about 8:30 pm Thursday night during a rainstorm.
The tree fell at the peak of commercial activities in a popular night market called “Ukwu Uko,” located under it. The market usually starts at about 3pm everyday and terminates at between 9.30pm and 11:30 pm.
The tree often referred to as "Uko", meaning 'a giant tree which best serves as wood for furniture makers and building engineers'' had been a source of concern to youths of the village who had repeatedly made case for it to be cut down to no avail. Elders of the community had described the tree as an ancestral landmark that should not be removed.
Sources revealed that discussion on the cutting down of the tree held the same day, in the town hall near the Ukwu Uko market, before the tree fell. The meeting, it was learnt, was to agree on the modality and necessary appeasements to the community’s ancestors before its felling.
The said meeting was on when the rain that caused the fall of the tree started. Owing to the rain, the meeting was adjourned, it was gathered.
One community leader, who attended the meeting said some of them were still on our way home when they heard the tree crashing down.
Efforts were made by some youths who dug the ground beneath the fallen tree to retrieve victims. Also on the rescue team were men of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, men of the Nigerian Fire Service, some health workers and other security operatives.
By yesterday, 11 corpses, including that of a baby, were recovered from the scene. The corpses were deposited at the mortuaries of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri; Imo State Specialist Hospital, Umuguma, in Owerri West Local Government Area and Aladinma Hospital, Owerri.
Meanwhile, the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has expressed deep shock over the unfortunate accident.
The governor who visited the area while rescue operation was still ongoing, said he swiftly directed relevant agencies for prompt rescue operation on receiving information of the incident.
He described the incident as a natural disaster and wondered why the community resisted efforts made to cut down the tree before it claimed scores of lives, warning that people should desist from dwelling on superstitious belief which he said negates sound sense of reasoning.
He however, directed the mayor of Owerri, Dr. Kachi Nwoga to make available to his office the necessary information in respect to the victims as government plans to give succor to the families that lost their loved ones in the unfortunate disaster.
He also called on communities that have similar trees to cut them down to avoid the re-occurrence of the said incident.
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