An ancient tree (believed by some to be a tree of the gods) fell on Thursday May 16th, killing over 50 people at Umudagu Mbieri, Mbaitoli in Imo State. The Osisi Ukwu Uko, which has been in existence for over 200 years, fell during heavy rainstorm around 8pm Thursday night, collapsing on buildings, people selling their wares and customers buying good in a market under the tree. Those who didn't die lost body parts and are being treated at the hospital.

People in the community had for many years called for the removal of the tree over safety concerns but the community elders refused to chop the tree down arguing that it was an ancestral landmark.

Some people in the village are speculating that the gods occupying the tree were angry with the villages over something and decided to strike. Urm, OK! See more photos after the cut...

More photo Here [url]latestnignews..com/2013/05/ancient-tree-falls-in-imo-state-kills.html#more[/url]

O di amiko. It's a pity.

Back then, many of these giant trees were revered for either protecting entire communities by warding off evil, or simply for serving as the sites of shrines and oracles. However, ever since Christianity took root, many of them have been abandoned and neglected, and instead of cutting them down, people let them grow freely out of fear and superstition. The worst is that many of these trees are in strategic locations, forcing people to develop and build under and around them, and every now and then we hear cases like this.

I hope others came learn from this incident, because theres absolutely no reason to be living within the vicinity of an ancient 200-year-old tree.