An ancestral tree known as “Ukwu Akpu Awhum” fell on a fully loaded 18-seater commercial bus, killing all occupants.
The incident occurred Tuesday evening, Feb. 17, during a thunderstorm and heavy rainfall in Awhum community, Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Commuters on the bus were traveling from Ukehe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area to Enugu metropolis when the tree collapsed.
A community member, Charly Okeke, expressed shock at the tragedy, noting that although branches of the tree had snapped in the past, no harm had previously come to anyone.
Okeke suggested that recent acts of desecration by youths, suspected to be engaging in occult practices, may have contributed to the incident.
“Some people started tying red and white cloths around the trunk, seeking spiritual powers. I suspect this may have caused the tragedy,” he said.
A local stated that the government has been making attempts to cut down the tree but indigenes always object, claiming that their ancestors have a connection to the tree.
