Sierra Leone's iconic cotton tree felled by storm

An iconic landmark in the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown – a hundreds-year-old towering cotton tree - has been brought down by a heavy storm.

President Julius Maada Bio said the tree fell after a heavy downpour on Wednesday night. He described it as a “great loss to the nation”.

The president said the tree was regarded as a symbol of liberty and freedom by early settlers. The iconic tree also appears on Sierra Leone banknotes.

The cotton tree is said to be the oldest of its kind in the country, and it is the site where formerly enslaved people are said to have founded the city, according to local media.

President Bio has said there will be something at the same spot to represent the “great cotton tree’s place” in the country's history.

This article originally appeared on BBC News.

Image via BBC News.