Letting our friendships slide

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BY JACK WATERFORD of The Canberra Times


01 Feb, 2012 01:00 AM


There's been a major disaster in PNG, but few Australians seem to know or care much, and we are doing little to help the victims, writes Jack Waterford.


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There were two big stories from Papua New Guinea over the past week, but most Australians could be forgiven for knowing only of one: the attempted mutiny in the Army, and increasingly flailing efforts by Sir Michael Somare to regain his power.


On Tuesday last week, there was a landslip at the Tumbi quarry near a big Exxon-Mobil natural gas project in the PNG southern highlands. A mountainside a kilometre long and 250m wide slipped and slid, and several million cubic metres of dirt, mud, soil and rocks enveloped an area of about 10ha, burying everything, and everyone beneath. That included Nagoli village and Tumbi. At least 20 dwellings seem to have disappeared.


People were asleep. Some of those crushed and smothered were itinerants looking for work on the gas project. Initial reports suggested a death toll of up to 75. It has now been revised downwards: 23 to 25. From the start there was almost no hope that anyone buried in the slide could have survived.
Rescue work was hampered by continuing heavy rain, and by the arrival of hundreds of villagers come to gawk and mourn, in spite of the risk from further slippages.


The word ''survivor' is a misnomer. All in the path are dead. They have survivors. But no living people were - or probably could be - dragged alive from the scene of devastation; indeed, in spite of some reports from the contrary, no bodies have been recovered and it it is unlikely that any will be.
No mine workers were killed, and production at the mine soon resumed. Australia's financial press was reassured: indeed, since day 1, there has been more media reference to the event in the business pages than in the main news pages.
But the company was quick to provide ready assistance to villagers, and, later, to outsiders, including PNG emergency workers and Australian aid people. Its helicopters and accommodation are critical in the investigation and assessment of the tragedy.

This story on this link: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/letting-our-friendships-slide/2439545.aspx




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