Workers move out as cracks close offices

THE six-storey provincial headquarters building in Mendi has been closed because it is not safe.
Acting provincial administrator Thomas Eluh said there were cracks on the floors of the Agiru Centre caused by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Monday last week.
He warned that it was no longer safe for public servants, including himself, to work there.
The 150 public servants will be moved to other temporary offices while engineers inspect the building.
Even the new three-storey building owned by the provincial government has been declared unsafe for occupancy. Eluh said the building needed a clearance by the building inspector and structural engineers.
He said public servants engaged in the earthquake relief work would use Muruk Lodge as a temporary office.
Eluh said public servants in Mendi town were also badly affected by the earthquake.
He said their families were struggling to get fresh water because their water tanks had been damaged.
He said water-borne diseases were expected to hit Mendi town because of the water problem.