Hailstorm and winds flatten school in ESP

By GABRIEL FITO
A HAILSTORM accompanied by strong winds flattened more than 10 classrooms and teachers quarters at the Koro Primary School in East Sepik last week.
Some of the roofs were ripped off and blown several metres away last Oct 30.
Six students, who failed to heed instructions to take shelter, were also thrown into a drain but they suffered only minor bruises
Principal Sylvester Hombi’s house was among those damaged.
“Luckily I was not inside,” he said.
Koro ward councillor Tony Sambus and school secretary Jack Kaputain, who accompanied Mr Hombi to The National’s office in Wewak to relate the incident, estimated the damage at more than K100,000.
They said the neighbouring Kiniambo and Witipi villagers of East Yangoru also reported seeing hailstones falling from the sky for the first time that same day.
Mr Sambus said one death had been reported at Witipi Two village but he could not say if it was related to the storm.
Kanauki district administrator Alois Warangi visited the school during the weekend to assess the situation and submitted a report to the provincial education adviser, Yangoru Saussia MP Peter Wararu and the East Sepik Provincial Disaster Office in Wewak.