A falling oak tree which is as old as 200 years, has killed as many as 11 persons, leaving many others wounded.
The tree fell on a large crowd in an area where candles were being sold during the Festa da Senhora do Monte festival
According to local media reports, at least 11 people were killed on Tuesday when a 200-year-old oak tree fell and crushed them at a religious festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
The public RTP television channel said at least 35 people were injured when the tree toppled into a crowd outside a church on the island’s southern coast.
The Church of Our Lady of Monte, in a suburb of the capital Funchal, is the site of an annual religious gathering attended by faithful from across the island, according to Madeira’s tourism website.
The church is surrounded by tall trees.
RTP said authorities would release an official toll later Tuesday, while the Diario de Noticias da Madeira daily said 10 people had been killed and 15 injured.