Wild Palms
Published on 12th February, 2007
enormous tree weighing in at 5000 kilos
Traffic in one of Benidorm's busiest squares - the Plaza de la Hispanidad - was brought to a halt for four hours on Saturday when a massive palm tree was discovered to be in a dangerous condition.
The enormous tree weighing in at 5000 kilos and over 18 metres high, the same as a five-storey building, was leaning at a precarious angle of almost 15 degrees. Recent heavy rains and high winds, the weight of the palm's foliage (which hadn't been trimmed for three years) and the fact that it wasn't growing on solid ground but a septic tank, had combined to cause the palm to incline perilously.
A crane, a fire truck, the Benidorm fire brigade, local police and an agricultural engineer were called in to remove the tree. Planted 40 years ago by the father of one of the neighbours, it was the property of one of the nearby blocks of apartments so residents there will have to bear the cost of the tree lopping operation.
Luckily for all, the events took place on a Saturday, any day during the week and there would have been absolute chaos!
Where am I? 
Back to News Index for February, 2007
