Landslide kills three in Wau

THREE people have been confirmed dead in Wau, Morobe on Sunday, following a landslide which followed the 7.6 magnitude earthquake.
Wau rural local level government (LLG) patrol officer Samuel Sesiguoc said the three were panning gold along Kuranga creek when they were buried by the landslide.
Sesiguoc said the LLG hired a vehicle to transport the bodies to the Angau Memorial Hospital the same day.
“The three were killed by a landslide along Kuranga creek while digging gold,” he said.
Sesiguoc said the LLG was conducting an assessment through the ward councillors and community leaders.
“We will send a team to the Nami and Kobiak mining settlements to assess the damage in the affected areas this (yesterday) afternoon,”he said.
“We haven’t received any reports from Biaru yet.”
Ward two councillor James Bana said about 20 vanilla, coffee and food gardens were destroyed by landslides in his ward.
“The sandbanks along Bulolo River sank and heavy water came up,” he said.
There’s landslips, stones rolled onto main Wau-Bulolo Highway, and the newly upgraded Fo-Rot (Four Road) to Makoni road.
“We helped removed some of the stones.”
Ward four councillor William Bibi said they were taking police with them to Nami to carry out assessments yesterday because of an ethnic clash earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Labu Butu village in Huon Gulf’s ward eight in the Wampar LLG reported damage to 80 houses and water wells.
Councillor Kipu Anonga said 80 houses, two churches, two community halls, a classroom and two water wells were destroyed.