Usino-Bundi bears brunt of burst river

Source:

By JEFFREY ELAPA (The National)

CONTINUOUS rain and heavy flooding destroyed a school and a bridge in the Usino-Bundi district of Madang province last Wednesday night.
The Waput primary school, which is located near the Mea River, was destroyed after the river burst its banks and flooded the school.
A church and several houses were also destroyed while several domestic animals and cocoa trees were uprooted and swept away.
This reporter who visited the site was told that the heavy rain had started around 10pm on Wednesday and around 2am on Thursday, the river burst its bank and flooded the school before depositing debris at the SDA church grounds and several villages across the main Ramu-Madang highway.
According to villagers, a huge landslide took place at Mount Isiro where the Ramu Nickel mine’s receiver station is located.
They said the landslide, which was heard several kilometres away, sounded like thunder as the rocks and tree crashed down the mountain, forcing the debris to block the source of the Bea River and creating a huge dam.
The villagers said that the water then forced its way through and carried everything along the way, through the school, church and village.
Headmaster Moses Benjamin said that they were not aware of what was happening until they heard noises as huge logs bumped into their houses.
Mr Benjamin said when they came out to investigate, there was water everywhere, carrying huge logs, uprooted trees, mud and sand.
He described the water level as at hip height, and it carried away everything from the school including text books, desks and other properties toward the Ramu River.
Mr Benjamin said they lost many of their cooking utensils, water containers and other items in their houses but, fortunately, there was no loss of lives.
The huge logs and soil deposited along the highway were cleared by a private firm contracted by the Department of Works at Walium.
Teachers are expected to resume duty this week and normal classes are expected next week but Mr Benjamin said many of their properties were destroyed and therefore the school may start late.

Huge landslide cuts off Madang highway

Report by JEFFREY ELAPA: (The National)

A MASSIVE landslide has blocked off an entire section of the Madang-Ramu Highway, a few metres away from the Usino junction in Madang province, leaving Madang town-bound traffic and passengers stranded at the site.
Continuous heavy rain has also caused many minor landslides in the area.
Usino-Bundi MP Samson Malcolm Kuli, who has been in his electorate for the past two months, said many sections of the highway from Usino to Tabo, near Madang, would be seriously damaged if the rain continues this week.
Mr Kuli said the rain had already caused much destruction – huge logs and mud had been deposited by flooding at Waput Primary School, the church and the village.
He said that several bridges had been washed away as well as cocoa trees and livestock, including chicken, and dogs.
More than 150 vehicles and hundreds of people travelling into Madang were stranded at Usino junction and spent two days in the bush because they could not pass through the massive landslide.
Many trucks returned to the Highlands or to Lae after witnessing the long queue of vehicles.
An earthmoving machine operator said it would take a couple of days to reopen the road to traffic.
A couple, Richard and Judy Alu, who travelled from the Highlands, said they had no choice but to stay overnight in their vehicle.
They said young children were hungry as there were no stores nearby for them to buy store food for the night.
However, they said, the next day, villagers from Usino junction set up a market at the landslide site to sell food to the starving commuters and drivers.
They said that after parts of the highway were cleared, they managed to drive through with the help of locals and stranded passengers who were charging K10 a vehicle
to get to Madang.
Until yesterday, bigger trucks carrying cargo in and out of Madang were still stranded and businesses would be affected.
Police traffic officer, Snr Const Frank Makora, said that a truck carrying office equipment and computers was looted in the Usino area after it slid off the road.