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Death in an embrace for couple, daughter buried alive in landslide

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Pictures courtesy of DAVID ROY and West New Britain Police

Death in an embrace for couple, daughter buried alive in landslide

PORT MORESBY: A couple and their two-year-old daughter were found buried alive huddled in an embrace in a landslide in Kimbe town’s Aling settlement on Wednesday (Feb 12, 2020).
The tragic and touching drama unfolded between 1am and 2am when a minor earthquake triggered the landslide, sending the house and tonnes of soil, softened by hours of heavy rain, crashing down hill and burying the victims.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the details of the tragedy and pictures as published by The National:




Until death do us part

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People recovering the baby from the landslide. – Facebookpic
The site of the landslide that killed the family of three in the Aling settlement in Kimbe Town, West New Britain. – Picture Courtesy of WNB Police

By LULU MARKA MAN, his wife and their two-year-old baby girl were found buried alive – huddled in an embrace – in a landslide in Kimbe town’s Aling settlement yesterday morning.
The landslide, trigged by hours of continuous heavy rain in West New Britain (WNB) and an earthquake, buried the house of the family of three between 1am and 2am.
Rescuers dug through the earth and rubble later in the morning to find the tragic victims huddled in an embrace – the man with his arms around his wife who held on to her daughter as if to protect her.

Daniel Yangen

Acting commander Sr Insp Daniel Yangen said police had identified the dead as Moses Kela, wife Mary Ipiri Moses and daughter Melissa Moses.
Kela was from Tambul Nebilyer’s Kumbaga village in Western Highlands and his wife was from Ialibu’s Pare village in Southern Highlands.
He said according to police and disaster office reports, the landslide occurred in the early hours of the morning.
“It had been raining since last year,” he said. “The landslide was reported to have been caused by an earthquake between 1am or 2am during a heavy downpour.”
Snr Insp Yangen said relatives, friends and villagers helped dig through the muddy soil and debris to try and save the victims but they were already dead when found,” he said, adding that floods had also hit food gardens, damaged roads and bridges.
“It is unsafe for dinghies and small boats in the seas around WNB. There were two fatal car accidents and two serious traffic accidents in the past 24 hours.”

The haus krai (mourning house) of the family of three that died in the landslide at Aling settlement in Kimbe. – Picture Courtesy of WNB Police

He said two of the cases involved drink-driving and the other two were caused by the rain and wet roads.
Sr Insp Yangen advised the public and road users to take extra precautions and observe more caution when on the roads.
“We urge drivers to put on their lights, double beams and use horns to avoid traffic accidents.” he said.

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