For centuries it stood as a towering symbol of freedom, but this week it was brought down by torrential rains.

Sierra Leone The country’s leader said on Thursday that in its iconic cotton tree Fell in a storm.

This giant tree has loomed over the capital Freetown for about 400 years. At 70 meters high and 15 meters wide, it is second only to its status as a national symbol.

Crowds gathered in the center of the capital to witness the battered suitcases.

In this West African nation founded by freed American slaves, “it was seen by early settlers as a symbol of liberty and liberty” According to President Julius Maada Biojoined the crowd at the scene on Thursday.

“Cotton Cotton Tree is more than just a tree,” bio twitter“It’s the connection between past, present and future.”

Arrived in the country by ship in the 1700s The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs stated on its website.

It has stood firm in the face of climate change and landslides triggered by lightning strikes, but a downpour on Wednesday night left only a stump.

It’s “broken beyond repair,” says Seebeck Internationala news organization working with the government of Sierra Leone, “its entire trunk was severed a few meters above the ground.”

The weight lost was “comparable to the fire that destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019,” Seebeck said.