Landslide hits Mt Hengla in SHP

An emergency team from the Mendi Munihu District Development Authority [DDA] has gone to Mt Hengla between Shumbi and Kip villages in Southern Highlands Province, following a devastating landslide, to assess the full extent of the damage.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the DDA, Nelson Yupnaik, told NBC News a formal disaster report has been compiled and is in the process of being submitted to the appropriate authorities for urgent relief assistance.

Mr Yupnaik said the landslide destroyed large parts of food gardens, badly affecting villagers who rely on subsistence farming to survive.

He said the report calls for urgent action to clear landslide debris blocking the new Shumbi-Kip Road, funded by the DDA.

Local MP, Raphael Tonpi, stated that the disaster reports will be presented to the National Disaster Office and the Southern Highlands Provincial Government to facilitate assistance for the affected communities.

"Fortunately, I am happy to say that no lives were lost in the disaster," Mr Tonpi said.

Meanwhile, the road blockage poses a serious challenge for the lower Lai community, as it disrupts access to several institutions, including Lai Valley Secondary School, Kip Health Facility, Kip Primary School, a couple of elementary schools, and local churches.

The local MP has assured that discussions will soon be held with Ipwenz Construction Limited, the company overseeing the Sumia-Munihu road project, to mobilize resources and manpower for the swift clearance of debris.