Lae settler blames police failure to act quickly

 By ELLEN TIAMU

A SETTLER at Kamkumung in Lae is disappointed with police who failed to respond quickly to pleas for help following the torching of 11 houses on Sunday morning. 

Philip Bangi, from Chuave, Chimbu, said on Monday the houses and their belongings were razed to the ground. 

Bangi said the arson attack took place shortly after 8.30am on Sunday when settlers from East Sepik blamed Chimbus for the death of a young man at 15 Block earlier that morning. 

The young man died at his home in the settlement. 

Bangi, employed as a guard with a security company in Lae, said the young man’s Chimbu neighbours had been blamed for causing his death using sorcery.  

“The houses – permanent and semi-permanent – three trade stores and everything we had are gone,” he said.

“We have nowhere to stay and where my family ran away to, I don’t know.” 

Bangi said mainly women and children had been at home when the rampage took place.

He said about 200 people at the settlement had left their houses and coastal people living in the area had left in fear.

“Police said they’d attend to the problem on Monday but have yet to do so,” he said.