FIVE BURIED TO DEATH IN LANDSLIDE; 13 YEAR-OLD SURVIVED
By Vicky BAUNKE, in Goroka EHP
A mother and her four children were buried to death in a recent landslide in Goroka, during the early hours of today leaving behind a lone 13 year old survivor.
The landslide is caused by the continuous rain in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province in the past weeks.
The bodies of the deceased were retrieved by locals at around 9am this morning after digging for several hours when the landslip occurred at around 3am this morning at Apoga last mountain, of Ward 4 Gama Gahuku area in the Goroka Urban LLG.
The 5 deceased include the mother and 4 children, while the father of the family was out on a Church gathering in the Unggai Bena when the natural disaster struck the family home.
According to the long survivor a very brave 13 year old, it was around 3am in the morning when he heard the sudden noise and sound of soil when he rushed out of the house only to be covered with soil and no time to save his mother or sisters and little brother.
“I dug my way until I reached the kunai grass (tall bushes) and made my way out into the village and alerted the boys who rushed in and started digging.
The bodies were found about 6 meters away from the house hours later by young man.
The bodies were brought to the Goroka Provincial Hospital morgue at around 11am this morning by members of the community.
