Tragedy struck on Monday when an iroko tree fell on a bungalow in Umueze Village at Amawbia, near Awka in Anambra, killing one Ikenna Anatuogu, 22.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent learnt that the tree fell, following a heavy wind storm that blew for several hours from Sunday evening to Monday morning.

According to an eye-witness, the tree fell on Anatuogu while he was asleep in one of the rooms in the building, resulting to severe bleeding.

The eye-witness said that effort to use a saw machine to cut off the tree that fell on Anatuogu failed, causing him to die.

The body of the victim was removed after youths had dug up the ground.

Gov. Peter Obi, Mrs Josephine Anenih, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development and former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili were among the early callers to console the family of the deceased.

Obi, who described the incident as a tragedy, said that it was painful that a young man should die in such a gruesome manner.

“This is to tell the communities to be careful of such over-grown trees around them and ensure that such trees are cut down before it causes havoc,” Obi said.

It was learnt that the iroko tree was being used as a shrine and that efforts to cut it down by residents had proved abortive.

A former President0-General of Amawbia, Chief Joseph Okonkwo, however, debunked the report that the tree was being used as a shrine, saying “the area is being used as a playing ground.”