by Jim John
Three local village children were among five persons buried underground around 1am on Monday 27th December 2021 at Topa village, Mendi Southern Highlands Province.
Villagers have identified the area residents as five-year-old girl, seven-year-old boy and three-year-old girl and their mother believed to be 28-years of age.
This follows a huge landslip that occurred in Konpi hamlet, at Topa village.
Villagers have also identified an elderly woman whose body was uncovered early on Monday at the site of the incident as 34-year-old, Jenny Lorol.
13 pigs worth of over K8,000 including 52 live chickens and 9 kaukau gardens belonging to the deceased were destroyed by landslip.
Spokes person Issac Pombe says all water sources, garden foods, and whole properties for Konpi villagers were covered by huge stones and muds.
” Over 400 people who fled for safety have been accommodated and comforted by neighboring villages and friends”. He said.
The Konpi hamlet at Topa village had never experienced such disaster before.
“It’s now day 4 since our search on Monday. We are using spades and a sticks to find the bodies. We are mourning for our children, our mother and wife as search continues”.
He said search for the 4 missing is continuing as villagers attempt to remove piled up stones and muds.
The body of the elderly woman late Jenny Lorol was taken to Mendi General Hospital and is now in the morgue.
According to Mr Pombe, some officers from the disaster team and local authorities in Mendi had visited the incident site this week and are aware of the situation.
