By Edwin N. Khakie
HANDI, Fuamah District, Bong County, August 7, 2026 – The Liberia National Police have launched an investigation after a woman died when a palm tree allegedly cut down by her husband fell on her at their cassava farm in Handi, Fuamah District, Bong County.
Police identified the deceased as Gwator Moluyan, while her husband, 44-year-old Koffe Moluyan, is assisting investigators as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to a statement Mr. Moluyan gave investigators, he and his wife had gone to their farm to harvest cassava for their children.
He told police that after they harvested several cassava roots, he asked his wife to return to their kitchen to retrieve a bag while he remained on the farm.
Moluyan said he then decided to cut down a dry palm tree that he believed contained bamboo worms, locally known as “strong butt.”
According to his account, shortly after the tree fell, he heard a loud sound and rushed to the scene, where he found his wife trapped beneath the fallen palm trunk.
The incident has left residents of Handi in mourning as authorities continue their investigation.
Following the incident, police took Moluyan into custody and later transferred him to the Bong Mines Police Depot for questioning.
The Liberia National Police, in collaboration with local authorities in Fuamah District, subsequently authorized the burial of the deceased while investigations continue.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that additional information will be released as it becomes available.
