Govt, disaster officials plan survey of Kikori
The National, Thursday 20th September, 2012
STAFF from the Gulf provincial administration and the National Disaster and Emergency Services will travel to Kikori today to carry out an aerial survey of the flooding and the damage it has caused in the area.
Provincial administrator Marc O Avai said a chartered helicopter would be used.
Kikori assistant district officer Maikere Ilau reported that four schools and six houses in the hinterlands of Kikori had been washed away.
Rain, since June, had caused havoc in area but in the past two weeks, extensive flooding was reported with homes, food crops and roads and bridges either washed away or damaged.
Due to access and communication difficulties, information regarding the extent of damage and the number of people affected were not clear.
However, it was understood scores of people had been forced away from their homes.
In some areas, there was a shortage of food.
The disaster office
had asked the Gulf provincial disaster coordinator, Jerry Hape, to provide a preliminary report.