‘Not one house left standing’, new home sought

VILLAGERS at Yalanda in Lake Kutubu, Southern Highlands, plan to relocate after the massive damage they suffered including the loss of six lives during the earthquake.
They relayed this to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill when he visited the site where their village used to be last Wednesday.
All their homes and gardens were carried away by a landslide. They are now living at a care centre at Kekero.
The graves of the six people killed are located beside the care centre.
Councillor Abel Erebo said they could not go back to their village because the side of the mountain remained unstable and could come down any time.
“On Monday (Feb 26), at 3am, the landslide came down and destroyed everything,” he said.
“Not one house is left standing, including our school and clinic.
“Aftershocks are continuing to this day. It will be hard for us to go back to the site of our village.”
Councillor Norman Dabe said Yalanda villagers needed to resettle permanently elsewhere.
“We cannot go back to the old village,” Dabe said.
Petroleum Resources Moran director Tony Kila, who is from Yalanda, said the villagers had not expected an earthquake to strike them.