Torrential Rains Falls Iconic Tree in Sierra Leone

A centuries-old Cotton Tree in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, came tumbling down Wednesday after torrential rains felled the national treasure. Standing 70 meters tall and 15 meters wide, the roughly 400 year-old tree has been the country's national symbol for decades, appearing on bank notes, woven into lullabies and visited by royalty, such as the late British monarch, Queen Elizabeth the II. For Freetown, the loss is comparable to the fire that destroyed Paris' Notre Dame cathedral in 2019, said Zebek International, the government's press agency. Work was carried out on Thursday to clear the debris.