Fall of 200-year-old tree kills at least 12 and injures scores during Celebration of Our Lady of the Mount festival near FunchalAt least 12 people have been killed after a 200-year-old oak tree fell into a crowd at a religious festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira. The festival is called the Celebration of Our Lady of the Mount, the Atlantic island’s biggest annual religious festival, which draws large crowds. An amateur video posted on the website of the local newspaper Jornal da Madeira shows the tree crashing down into a crowd of people. TV reports showed fire and rescue services working to help victims and cutting away the fallen tree. Miguel Albuquerque, the head of the regional government of Madeira, declared three days of mourning for the victims.

Source: The Guardian August 15, 2017 16:22 UTC