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8 Dead in Floods

Solomon Times/Monday, 02 February 2009

The National Disaster Management Office today said police have now confirmed that 8 people have died in the floods last week on northwest Guadalcanal.

The statement said police officers who returned from assessments at Takaboru, Vatukulau and Mataruka villages in the Aruligo area reported that 1 female and 3 girls aged between 3 and 4 had died.

It also said that two males and a 7 year old child died at Vatukulau while 1 male at Mataruka village.
The officers also confirmed that a sick woman in a village by the Sasa River fell and died while they were running away from floods.

The statement quoted the police officers as clarifying that the 8 deaths are different from the original 8 people and 3 children reported missing last Friday.

Meanwhile, the Malaita Provincial Disaster Office has informed NDMO about receiving reports of damages, due to floods and strong winds, in three wards of the Province.

They are Wards 11 and 13 – houses damaged by strong winds on the weekend; part of ward 14, near the Kware River, damages to food gardens and other properties.

However, a more detailed report from the Provincial Disaster Coordinator is expected later today.

As for the six assessment teams from Guadalcanal Province,  1 canoe left Honiara at 6 o’clock this morning for the weather coast to assess communities living along the Tina river while the other five teams are expected to leave this afternoon.

The statements also said the National Disaster Committee is holding a meeting this afternoon to decide on what course actions it will take in relation to the current reports as well as recommendations from the assessments conducted on Lord Howe communities at the end of December last year.

It also added that the NDMO has not received any reports from other Provinces but more floods are expected as the weather outlooks say the country will still expect more rain and bad weather in the coming weeks.

The statement emphasized that people who live on the Guadalcanal plains and those near big rivers in other parts of the country should take heed of the warnings about floods which the Met Service is currently issuing through the media.

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