Three more deaths in SHP

By JOHNNY POIYA

The natural disaster in the Southern Highlands Province is far from over as three more people, all believed to be students, reportedly drowned in the rising lake Kutubu on Sunday.
The three included a grade 10 student from Nipa and two locals who were travelling on a canoe on the rising tides of the lake whose flood waters have covered roads, food gardens, houses and cut off schools and other government and private facilities in the area.
Provincial disaster coordinator Martin Pat yesterday said the trio were returning from Wasume Island in the afternoon when their canoe capsized. Attempts by locals to save the three were prevented by the unprecedented high water level.
One of the bodies was still submerged while the other two were recovered, Mr Pat said.
“We had a very high rainfall last week and the level of the lake has risen to an unprecedented and threatening level. It has cut off roads, covered food gardens and homes and prevented people travelling.” Mr Pat said.
The flooded lake has also polluted all fresh drinking waters in the area. Oil Search Limited which operates the Kutubu Oil fields has provided tanks and urged people not to drink contaminated water, Mr Pat said.
He said there was widespread belief and superstition in the area that the recent killing of a giant snake on a nearby mountain by developers was the cause of the flood and deaths.
About five weeks ago, heavy rain in the province triggered a landslide which covered three young kids returning from their elementary school in the lower Mendi area.
On the recent flood disaster in the province, Mr Pat said reports for the second phase were about to be completed and would be presented to the National Disaster and Emergency Office.The reports would also be made available to Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion who is responsible for disasters in the country and all local MPs, including Ialibu-Pangia’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. He said distribution of the first batch of relief supplies were already completed and they were waiting for the Provincial Disaster Chairman to return from Port Moresby and payout all outstanding bills to service providers before the second batch of relief supplies would be distributed. He said service providers were reluctant to provide services until they were paid for the first batch of supplies, including food rations, vehicles and fuel.