Wednesday, February 8, 2012

25 people still buried under Tari landslide


MORE than two weeks after the Tumbi landslip at Hides near the multi-billion kina LNG project site in Tari and authorities have made no efforts to retrieve the 25 or more bodies still buried in the landslide reports the Post Courier.
Hela Provincial Police Commander Supt John Anawe, who is co-ordinating the emergency and relief centre at Nogoli, said it would take some time before rescue workers move in and try to retrieve the bodies believed to be buried alive in the January 25 disaster.
Sups Anawe said it was likely that a mass graveyard would be declared in the landslide site if efforts to retrieve the bodies fail. He said officers from the National Disaster Office in Port Moresby visited the disaster site last week and they were yet to finalise relief assistance to the relatives and victims of the disaster.
In the last few days, local authorities have had closed door meetings with the Local Disaster Management team, developers Oil Search and Exxonmobil, disaster officers from Port Moresby, Police and other stakeholders. The outcome has not be established so far.
Meanwhile, locals at the disaster site said yesterday evening that the authorities are yet to give them relief support and compensation money. This is despite the K10m that has been allocated last week by the National Government for emergency assistance to those affected by the landslip.
Locals also said the disaster was caused by heavy explosions, drilling and the development of the quarry for the LNG project and Exxonmobil must take full responsibility for the lives lost and properties destroyed in the disaster.
They also warned that they would not allow work to re-open in Nogoli, Hides and Komo highway if they are not compensated. Meanwhile, fuel and supplies bound for the LNG sites at Komo and Hides 4 areas are fast running out due to the road blocks,
and work on the LNG sites have been disrupted for two weeks now.

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