The pine tree that killed the man was “dead”, supported only by paving slabs

The investigation into the causes of the fall of a huge pine tree on Dimokratias Avenue in Heraklion (Crete) is still ongoing.

Recall that a 51-year-old man tragically died in the incident. The unfortunate Panagiotis Mitrelos, who was driving a motorcycle and stopped at a traffic light at a fatal moment on August 18, was pinned down by a killer tree, resulting in his instant death.

According to neakriti.gr, laboratory tests of the tree’s roots and trunk samples have not yet been completed, so the expert opinion and conclusions that will be sent to the prosecutor’s office are not yet ready. However, a local website reports that general (macroscopic) studies of killer pine by forest experts have been reported to have been carried out.

The conclusions made by forestry specialists who examined the scene say that “the tree had” dead roots “, and it itself was kept” by a thread.

As expert foresters explained, the pine was severely damaged from time to time by various technical works, slowly dying due to the fact that its root system was regularly “attacked”. Every time some work was done, another root of the tree must have been pruned. And the only “live” found root was on the north side of the pine. It means that pine had no root system on three sideswas practically “dead” and kept upright only by the pavement cement, writes neakriti.gr.

It is now awaiting a conclusion from the laboratory tests of the samples in order to form a complete opinion on the cause of the fall of the pine, as various hypotheses have been expressed about fungi or other diseases of the wood, which will be found (or not), and it is concluded whether they damaged the tree.

Chronicle of an unimaginable tragedy

On the afternoon of August 18, a motorcyclist waiting at a traffic light on the most central street in Heraklion died after being crushed by a huge uprooted tree.

A huge pine tree, standing on the sidewalk (to the left of the unfortunate man), according to eyewitnesses, suddenly fell onto the road, crushing him.

Eyewitnesses reported that the man “even had a split helmet”, and that “the man died instantly” and “it was obvious when we approached him”.

In connection with the shocking incident, the head of the prosecutor’s office of Heraklion appointed a preliminary investigation to find out the reasons for the fall of a huge tree and determine who is responsible for this.

Source link