Damage to infrastructure severe

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Damage assessment in Papua New Guinea’s earthquake-hit Southern Highlands province has confirmed widespread devastation to public infrastructure.

Relief supplies are starting to reach affected communities in the province over two weeks after a magnitude-7.5 quake struck in neighbouring Hela province.

The death toll is now quoted as over 110 but is expected to rise as response teams gradually reach remote parts still cut off by landslides, particularly in Hela.

The Southern Highlands police commander and deputy chairman of its disaster committee, Joseph Tondop, said that assessment reports coming in depicted extensive damage.

“Especially to public infrastructures like roads, bridges, public schools, hospital facilities, especially the rural health centres and health posts have been severely damaged and affected from basically the whole of Southern Highlands province.” - RNZI