Couples’ argument ends in disaster

 A ROW between two couples resulted in the burning of the Wara Lai market in Nipa Kutubu, Southern Highlands, two weeks ago.

Hundreds of goods worth thousands of kina and  which were to be sold to travellers on the national highway went up in flames while sellers were serving customers in the afternoon.

Robert Rawo, a clerk for Wolumesa Iprap ward council in Poroma local level government, said they lost more than K127,000.

“Just a little argument between two couples and everything has been burnt to ashes,” he said. 

“We lost five permanent buildings, worth between K8,000 and K10,000, store goods and hundreds of diesel drums and a small fuel station.”

He said Wara Lai market has been a haven for thugs in the past but it changed in 2008 after the mini-market was established.

Rawo said the market served public motorists and importantly the multi-billion kina PNG-LNG company semi-trailers and vehicles.

He said the youths made good money from selling garden produce and other store goods and the 

destruction of the market was a setback for them.

“We are so concerned and have planned to rebuild the market but we do not have enough resource. We would kindly like to ask trucking companies, business houses, MPs and other interested leaders to help us,” he said.

Police are looking for the couple who have gone into hiding after the incident.