Floods destroy property

 By ELIAS LARI

PROPERTY worth more than K600,000 was destroyed by flooding at Monokam village in Enga yesterday.

A Catholic church resource centre, an aid post, school classrooms, coffee projects, food gardens, homes and other property were severely damaged as heavy rain caused flooding in the Kompiam-Ambum electorate.

The only permanent bridge connecting Lower Ambum and Upper Ambum was destroyed by the flooding and animals and pine trees were also swept away.

The coffee project owned by the Hard Coffee Cooperative Society lost about a half hectare of trees.

Society chairman Johannes Yola said the community was in shock because property valued at hundreds of thousands of kina had been destroyed.

“This is a disaster. We will need assistance and other benefits because the damage is huge,” Yola said.

He said flooding happened in the afternoon which was fortunate for the villagers as it was daylight.

He said some people had fled their homes in fear of their lives.