'Beautiful' girl, 7, crushed to death by falling tree named
A seven-year-old girl crushed to death by a falling tree has been named as Leonna Ruka.
Leonna, from Dagenham, was enjoying the warm weather in Chalkwell Park in Southend-on-Sea on Sunday when a tree collapsed.
Several children were pinned beneath it, including Leonna, as dozens of park-goers and family members rushed to raise the broken branches.
Leonna was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, where she died.
The youngster's family said in a statement today: 'It is with broken hearts and unimaginable pain that we share the devastating loss of our beloved daughter Leonna – our beautiful, bright, and loving little girl, taken from us far too soon.
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'Leonna was more than just a child – she was a light in our lives and in the lives of everyone who had the joy of meeting her.
'She was an intelligent and curious soul, full of energy and creativity.'
Bani, the girl's cousin, previously told Metro that some 50 people raced to help the children after the tree snapped.
'She was an honest girl who was always good in school. She had so much wisdom for someone so young. Now she is gone,' he said.
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