Melodi
Disaster Cat
Falling tree kills 11 on Portuguese island of Madeira
Image copyright EPA
A falling tree has killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more at a religious ceremony on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
A video shows the tree crashing down on a crowded square in a suburb of the main town, Funchal, scattering people who were out enjoying the religious festivities in the sunshine.
Two children are among the dead, Portuguese broadcaster RTP reports.
Reports suggest the tree which fell was an oak that was about 200 years old.
People had gathered outside a church in a village in the hills overlooking the town to celebrate the Roman Catholic Feast of the Assumption, which takes place on Tuesday. The Lady of the Mount festival is the island's biggest.
Emergency services flooded the area after the disaster, tending to the injured.
Madeira, a popular destination for European tourists, is the largest of a group of Portuguese islands in the north Atlantic Ocean, south-west of the Portuguese mainland.
Were you at the event? Did you witness what happened? If it is safe to do so please let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40940007
Image copyright EPA
A falling tree has killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more at a religious ceremony on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
A video shows the tree crashing down on a crowded square in a suburb of the main town, Funchal, scattering people who were out enjoying the religious festivities in the sunshine.
Two children are among the dead, Portuguese broadcaster RTP reports.
Reports suggest the tree which fell was an oak that was about 200 years old.
People had gathered outside a church in a village in the hills overlooking the town to celebrate the Roman Catholic Feast of the Assumption, which takes place on Tuesday. The Lady of the Mount festival is the island's biggest.
Emergency services flooded the area after the disaster, tending to the injured.
Madeira, a popular destination for European tourists, is the largest of a group of Portuguese islands in the north Atlantic Ocean, south-west of the Portuguese mainland.
Were you at the event? Did you witness what happened? If it is safe to do so please let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40940007
