A tragic incident in the forest of Duogee Town, B’hai Administrative District, Grand Gedeh County, has claimed the lives of three Burkinabe. The deceased have been identified as Sawadog Mohammed Desire, 34, Yameogo Oliver, 25, and Tiono Ouibila, 25. A survivor of the incident has also been identified as Antoine Tapsoba, 34.
This event occurred when a massive dead tree fell on the hut where the victims, cocoa farmers from Burkina Faso, were residing. The Burkinabe had come to Liberia specifically to plant cocoa. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of August 24, 2024, also left several people injured.
Investigations reveal that the farmers had cleared parts of the forest but did not fully cut down the trees. Instead, they severed the roots and burned the bark, leaving the trees vulnerable and prone to collapse. As a result, the decayed tree fell, leading to the tragic loss of lives.
A 15-member coroner jury was convened to thoroughly examine the bodies. They concluded that the deaths were directly caused by the fallen tree. The Administrative Officer, Hon. Madison Neewray, along with the Liberia National Police (LNP), has released the bodies to the families for proper burial. Meanwhile, the LNP has invited the owner of the farmland, Mr. Othello Bah, where the incident occurred, for questioning at the Toe Town Police Detachment.
This tragic event serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by unsafe agricultural practices. Local authorities are urging farmers to adopt safer methods when clearing land to prevent such incidents in the future.
