Relatives of fire victims seek government support for repatriation

ONE of the close relatives of the late Lucy Aufa wants the East New Britain (ENB) administration and the government to provide them financial assistance to repatriate the bodies of the fire victims to their home province.
Aufa was burnt to death along with her four children and two other relatives when their house caught fire in the early hours of July 30 at the National Airport Corporation (NAC) compound in Tokua, ENB.
Philip Tiki, who is Aufa’s uncle, travelled from Port Moresby to take their bodies back to Port Moresby and Pangia in Southern Highlands.
Tiki is calling for financial help to take the bodies back.
“We are seeking support from the authorities in the province,” Tiki said.
The victims’ husband and father Bona Aufa is employed by NAC.
More than 300 people attended the funeral service of the victims at the PNG Revival Church in Kokopo, East New Britain on Wednesday.
Bona Aufa was lost for words as he was about to read his wife’s eulogy.
He said: “My late wife Lucy was very supportive. She supported me in everything, she did her marketing and also stepped in to provide food on the table when I was down with finance and now she is gone.
Lucy Bona, 37, was from Pangia. The Bona children who died in the fire were Babra, Bona Jr, Michelle and Carolyne.
Bona Aufa’s sister Mary and nephew Jeremiah Eli also died in the fire.