The Papua New Guinea Defence Force has deployed 70 soldiers from Port Moresby to Southern Highlands and Hela provinces.
They are tasked to provide security, medical assistance, distribute relief supplies and set up care centres for communities affected by the earthquake and aftershocks. The troops will also be engaged in other necessary duties if required.
Half of the group will travel to Hela from Komo Airport while the other half will be travelling by road to Southern Highlands from Mt Hagen, Western Highlands.
The troops are from the First Royal Pacific Island Regiment at Taurama. Among them, ten are specialist combat military trained medical personnel, of which five are deployed to Hela and the other five deployed to Southern Highlands.
They had been flown out by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130 yesterday from the PNGDF Air Transport Wing at Jacksons International Airport.
