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Category: PNG death toll

  • Quake buries three alive in Wau as PNG reports death toll of seven

    By Samson Bonai in Port Moresby

    Three alluvial miners were buried alive at Koranga mining area in Papua New Guinea following the earthquake which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale which hit Morobe province on Sunday morning.

    The PNG Post-Courier today reports a death toll of seven after the devastation from the quake in the Morobe, Madang and the Highlands region.

    The three miners — all from one family — who died were working inside a tunnel at the mine site at Koranga Creek when the earthquake hit the area about 11.30am.

    The miners felt the earthquake and made their way out of the tunnel but they were too late and were buried alive.

    A small girl who accompanied them to the mine site was sitting outside the tunnel. She felt the earth shaking and ran to the safety of higher ground and alerted the community.

    The community went to the disaster area and retrieved the three bodies from beneath the rubble. They took the bodies to their house at Koranga compound.

    Wau-Waria police station commander Senior Inspector Leo Kaikas confirmed the death of the family members and said their bodies would be transported by road to Lae to be placed at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.

    “The miners should take extra care when engaged in alluvial mining activities near the steep areas along Koranga creek and Mt Kaindi areas,” Kaikas said.

    “I’m still carrying out assessment on the extent of the damage around Wau Waria district to confirm the number of people who were affected by the landslip following the earthquake.”

    Wau Urban Ward 11 Member Rumie Giribo said arrangements had been made to transport the bodies to Lae to be placed at the morgue at the Angau Memorial Hospital.

    Republished with permission.

  • Two more die in Hela fighting to take total to 9 deaths in PNG election

    By Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby

    Fresh fighting among candidates’ supporters has left another two dead in Hela’s Margarima in Papua New Guinea’s general election.

    This takes the death toll to nine in the province since fighting broke out on July 4 – and nationwide election-related deaths have topped 45.

    Cars and trucks were set ablaze and houses razed in Lower Wage on Sunday.

    Papua New Guinea Defence Force liaison officer Major Joshua Dorpar said fighting erupted again following the counting of election ballots for Margarima.

    According to military sources in Margarima, the situation was still tense.

    “Since the last fight two weeks ago, when the death toll was at seven, two more people have been killed, raising the death toll to nine. A couple of people are in hospital.

    “Homes have been burnt down, vehicles destroyed, and we are working on restoring peace again, by talking to the of two groups that are fighting,” the sources said.

    Lack of forces
    Police commander Robin Bore said the fight started during polling on July 4 between incumbent Komo-Margarima MP Mannaseh Makiba’s (Pangu Pati) supporters and Independent Dr Benson Wakinda’s supporters at the Yambraka polling centre.

    Bore said he did not have enough security forces to deal with the situation.

    “We don’t have enough police manpower on the ground, especially armed/response units to attend to other law and order issues in the province, including the fighting in Margarima,” he said.

    “We have one platoon of soldiers and Mobile Squad 12 but they will be concentrating on the counting and providing security for ballot boxes.

    “Moreover, 40 regular members of Hela are on the roll over team led by Tari police station commander to provide polling security in nearby Highlands provinces.

    “So, after completion of elections in Hela, we will look into those areas that require police help,” he added.

    While election-related deaths reached 45 — as compiled by the media — many others went unreported or were unaccounted for.

    Rebecca Kuku is a National reporter. Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.