LISBON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Twelve people were confirmed dead and 50 injured after a big tree collapsed on the Portuguese island of Madeira around midday Tuesday, local media reported.
The incident occurred at Largo da Fonte, on the outskirts of Funchal capital of Madeira autonomous region, as crowds assembled for the Our Lady of the Mount religious procession.
Ten people were killed instantly and two dead at the hospitals. A child was confirmed dead among those killed.
Portugese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has expressed his condolences for the victims of the accident in Madeira.
It is not yet known why the tree fell, but locals told Portuguese Lusa News Agency that the tree, an oak, had been tied back two years ago and that the trunk was hollow.
