8 Confirmed Dead In West Guadalcanal Floods

8 Confirmed Dead In West Guadalcanal Floods

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

A police assessment team deployed at Takaboru, Vatukulau and Mataruka villages in the Aruligo area confirmed that 1 female and 3 girls aged between 3 and 4 had died.

Police also confirmed that two males and a 7 year old child died at Vatukulau while 1 male at Mataruka village.

It is also confirmed that a sick woman in a village by the Sasa River fell and died while they were running away from flash floods.

A statement from the Police team said the latest 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 National Disaster Committee is holding a meeting this afternoon to decide on the 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.

The NDMO has not received any reports from other Provinces but more floods are expected as the weather outlook says the country will still expect more rain and bad weather in the coming weeks.

NMDO advised people living on the Guadalcanal plains and those near big rivers in other parts of the country to take heed of flood warnings issued by Meteorological Service through the media.

Ends

© Scoop Media