Student flees flood, alerts authorities of colleagues

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A PAPUA New Guinean student studying in Indonesia is worried about the whereabouts of three of his three colleagues caught in the recent flooding at Sentani in West Papua.
Tony Wan, who with the three attend the Doyo Baru Secondary School in Sentani, managed to flee from the flooding and walk across the border to Vanimo in West Sepik where he alerted government officials.
According to Indonesian officials, about 90 people died and hundreds others displaced after flooding and landslides on March 16.
“I walked for three days to the border and then walked all the way to Vanimo town. But I don’t know about my three fellow Papua New Guinea students,” Wan said.
“There was a heavy landslide and heavy flooding and I saw many dead people while walking to West Sepik.”
Wan is from Bitapeng village in the Yapsie local level government of Teleformin.
The flooding forced the closure of the school.
“We were all in the same dormitory when the disaster strike. Heavy rain caused landslides and flooding that destroyed buildings,” he said.
“I escaped. But I don’t know about the other three.”
Wan, in grade 11, has requested the West Sepik officials to check with the Indonesian government about his friends who are in grade 12.
West Sepik administrator Conrad Tilau confirmed receiving Wan’s note and has sent three officers to Sentani to check on the other Papua New Guinea students.