Bodies of villagers recovered

National

THE body of a female student buried with eight others during a recent landslide in Hote, Salamaua in Huon Gulf, Morobe, was recovered on Wednesday.
The nine met their fate while trekking from interior Hote to Buakap coast when a land slide occurred at Mt Ayangho near Seleap village killing them on Nov 26.
Among the dead were four females from Sabaya – Anna Lingwaku, 35, Sandra Shem, 24, Martina Leni, 28 and infant Sandra (eight months old).
Yamu Primary School pupils buried were Yangungsio Marus, 15, Paul Marus, 10, Koreno Robert, 10, Aidah Geame, 10 and another student which Salamaua manager Cliff Wembiong was unable to identify.
Wembiong told The National that the body of a female recovered on Wednesday could not be identified.
“I advised officers on site to discuss with locals, identify a location at Seleap and bury the body, so if we recover the remaining eight afterwards, we can bury them all there and erect a memorial in their honour later,” he said.
The only survivors were Jennifer Ngawi, 14 and Rosa Ngasamu, 13, both in grade five including their teacher from Sabaya Primary School.
Wembiong said two health workers and two provincial disaster officers were flown to the site.