4 dead, 3 missing

National

By JUNIOR UKAHA
FOUR people including a five-year-old boy have died, and three others including a student are missing after floodwaters ravaged parts of Watut in Morobe on Sunday.
Bulolo district administrator Tae Gwambalek told The National yesterday that the Watut River had burst its banks after heavy rain last weekend.
Gwambalek said the seven were from Tararoa village in Upper Watut.
Watut local level government president Waka Damon said two men, a Grade 7 student and a woman were swept away by floodwaters while walking back from another village to Tararoa.
The body of the woman has been recovered while the two men and the student are still missing.
He said a toddler and his grandparents were asleep at home at night when they were swept away by the floodwater.
Their bodies have been recovered.
Gwambalek said the four bodies had been taken back to Tararoa village and would later be transported to the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.
Bulolo MP Sam Basil expressed his sorrow over the incident, saying it was unfortunate.
Basil said parts of Bulolo, Lae and Nawaeb districts had been experiencing heavy rain, resulting in floods and landslip damaging homes, food gardens, roads and bridges.
“I have advised the district to arrange for the medivac of the four bodies to the Angau Hospital in Lae,” Basil said.
“It’s not only in Watut but in Buang as well.
“All the bridges have been affected.”
Basil said it was an emergency situation and called on the Government to provide assistance to the people affected.
Morobe Rural Police commander Inspector David Warap said police were yet to be informed of the incident at Tararoa.