Floods ravage Papua New Guinea

2004-03-09 11:05

Port Moresby - More than 10 000 people were evacuated as floods destroyed their homes and food gardens along the banks of the Waghi river in Papua New Guinea's western highlands over the past few days.

Emergency supplies, including thousands of litres of diesel, were stranded in Kundiawa Chimbu province after rising floodwaters badly damaged a bridge near Kudjip, washing away parts of the Highlands Highway.

Precious livestock has also perished in swollen rivers as torrential rain pounded the region for the past two weeks, turning into a flood last Friday.

The rains will affect major coffee and tea growers entering a new season in Anglimp, Aviamp and Kudjip.

Shelter

Former journalist Willie Palme, who encountered the floods as he travelled from Kudjip to Goroka, said many families were in desperate need of shelter, clothing and food.

In Kundiawa, stranded truck drivers could do nothing but wait for the weather to improve and for road repairs to be carried out.

Some of the drivers told the paper that floodwaters had ripped off part of the bridge at Kudjip, reducing it to one lane and rendering it unsafe for heavy trucks.

The drivers said they were hoping their employers would send help as they had little money and no place to stay.

Western Highlands provincial work manager, Ponege Poya, said the culvert at the Kudjip end of the road had collapsed due to corrosion and years of withstanding the load from trucks that passed through that part of the highway.

"It just caved in and collapsed," he said.

- SAPA