Fire leaves villagers homeless

A GROUP of villagers in Southern Highlands are homeless after a fire razed their homes.
Provincial disaster coordinator John Kink, who visited Tunda village on Feb 23, said 24 homes were destroyed.
The village is in the Wiru local level government in Ialibu-Pangia.
Kink said the fire started on Feb 18 when most of the villagers had gone to Tunda Primary School to welcome new teachers.
Governor William Powi and assembly members plan to hire a portable sawmill to cut timber for the villagers.
The villagers claimed that an old woman who had stayed back started a fire at the back of her home to clear a small piece of land for a garden.
Because it was dry and windy, the fire quickly reached the nearest home.
“The fire started from one house and quickly spread,” Kink said.
He said families lost their belongings as everyone was at the school when the fire started.
The old woman managed to flee the scene.
“We gave them some food, blankets, eating utensils, axes and bush knives,” he said.
“As government account were still closed at that time, my office borrowed K5,000 from other people to provide relief assistance.
“The Ialibu-Pangia development authority is assisting the villagers with roofing iron to rebuild their houses.”
Villager Jack Liriya thanked the provincial disaster office, provincial government, and district authority for their quick response with relief supplies.