Buried alive

By KELVIN JOE
TWO sisters and their parents were killed at the weekend after they were buried in a landslide at Mundika village in Tambul-Nebilyer, Western Highlands.
The tragedy occurred at the lower Kagul area between 3am and 4am on Saturday.
One of the girls is three years old while her older sister is doing her Grade Five at Alkena Primary School.
Kiripia Primary School teacher and woman representative Jerolyn Torea said the girls and their parents were sleeping in their house, located beside the Elig Creek, when a nearby hill gave way, resulting in a landslip that rolled down and buried them.
“All four bodies were recovered and transported to the Mount Hagen General Hospital morgue. We are mourning the tragic death of our four community members,” Torea said.
“We have never experienced such a natural disaster incident before, and we are in fear and shock.”
Two older siblings, both boys, were sleeping in another family home located with the rest of the village at the time of the incident.
She said the landslide also covered a road section leading to Mt Hagen.
“The landslip has disconnected Tambul Secondary and two primary schools, and affecting up to 30,000 people in the four council wards of Tambul after part of the road at Wara Bung was covered in debris, rocks and mud,” she said.
“Our main road to Mt Hagen is currently disconnected.
“We will now have to take the longer route to Tambul station then to Mt Hagen.”
Local authorities including the Western Highlands government were notified of the incident over the weekend.
Torea said the Tambul-Nebilyer district administration and provincial government were working to clear the road for people to use.