Hundreds homeless as floods hit PNG

[senorpepr]

Officials say torrential rains in Papua New Guinea have swept away bridges, roads and hundreds of homes.
It is the second disastrous flooding to hit the Pacific nation this month.
A woman and her baby were feared lost in the floods, which struck the Ramu Valley in the north coast province of Madang following 10 days of rain, Government Relations Minister Peter Barter told local media.

"Hundreds of houses have been washed away and destroyed and in the vicinity desperate people are on the roofs of the houses waiting to be rescued," Mr Barter told The National newspaper after flying over the area in a helicopter.

Efforts have begun to rescue stranded villagers by motorboat and rush supplies to the area after the floodwaters swept away vegetable gardens that are the main source of food for the subsistence villagers, he said.

The flood, carrying felled trees, also wiped out a community school, a mission station and a clinic, he said.
Two power pylons were also toppled, forcing authorities to switch to an old diesel power station to supply electricity to the city of Madang, PNG's most popular tourist destination