Bodies of boy and grandfather retrieved from landslide

**Tribesmen after retrieving the bodies of five-year-old Nimrod Lo and his grandfather, Penny Puld, on Monday after they were buried during a landslide in Dei, Western Highlands. – Picture supplied**

By MAJELEEN YANEI
THE bodies of a five-year-old boy and his grandfather were retrieved on Monday after they were trapped under rock and soil debris following a landslide last weekend in Dei, Western Highlands.
Mala Two councillor Eki Ten said the bodies of Nimrod Lo and his grandfather Penny Puld were retrieved with the help of two 50m water pumps and generators supplied by Western Highlands Governor Wai Rapa.
“Local tribesman used the water pumps to wash away the soil debris to retrieve the bodies buried underground at around 4pm,” he said.
“The landslide happened at around 10am along the Mala-Min-Jim road on Saturday, killing two children, their father and grandfather.
“Nine-year-old Pamela Lo’s body was found on Sunday, along with their father who sustained injuries and died a day later at Jiwaka’s Kunjib hospital.”
Ten said a large mass of soil and rocks slid down the slope and buried a garden where the four people were gardening.
Rapa gave K20,000 to the people as relief assistance.
“The road at the incident site was opened last year and there were many landslide occurring at Mul-Baiyer and parts of the province blocking roads, affecting public transport,” Rapa said.
“We are working to address that.”
Community representative Samuel Pank said they also needed long-term solutions to prevent and mitigate landslide effects, like improving road infrastructure, planting more trees, and educating people on disaster preparedness and response.