On Feb 25th a 7.5 earthquake hit Papua New Guinea in the Komo area. It was the strongest we have experienced since our arrival in 2011. In fact, it was so strong that I was on the way out of the 2-storey building I was sleeping in, when it finally stopped. Madeleine and the kids were on their own in Telefomin. Our house lost a header tank (water tank on the roof to provide water pressure), and they were without water for a day. Other than that, we were spared any damage or loss of life.
In Komo and the surrounding area it is a different story, however. Over the past few years a lot of effort has gone into that region as a plant for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) has been build. With it came sealed roads, improved infrastructure, and an airport. Most of that is to some degree damaged now, and while it mostly effects the people operating the gas plant and the people living in the town of Tari (population approx 8000), it will have a long-term impact on the growing economy.
As the rural Papua New Guinean has no car, no electricity, no running water, and a house build with material found in the bush the earthquake had little impact on their general existence. However, land slides triggered by the shaking ground covered gardens and streams, thus limiting food and water supply in some areas. It is also not clear yet, if and how many houses and people were covered by the sliding masses of earth.
"MAF is currently involved in a coordinated effort with other groups to provide earthquake relief and medical evacuations. Please see the attached story for more information and read about the first people who have been medevaced to Mt Hagen hospital."
Here the full story as released by MAF PNG:
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Badly broken road
[©Hides Gas Facebook] |
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Landslides to the North and South of epicentre
[©Bernard J McQueen Facebook] |
