wfn.org | Papua New Guinea Tidal Wave UPDATE

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

ACNS LC017a - 20 July 1998

Papua New Guinea bishop calls for prayers following tidal wave
disaster (Update) 

Press Release #17-Update with revised casualty statistics

Death toll feared to have reached 3,000 with 5,000 homeless in
Papua New Guinea tidal wave.

by Allan Reeder
Lambeth Conference Communications

Archbishop James Ayong, one of approximately 740 Anglican bishops
gathering in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference, has asked for
prayers for the victims of a tidal wave that struck his country
on the night of July 17. His diocese of Aipo Rongo includes the
isolated strip of coastline in the northwest region of Papua New
Guinea that bore the brunt of the wave.

Archbishop Ayong said the West Sepik coast hit by the seven-metre
high wave includes very low-lying marsh country. "I can imagine
how the tidal wave would have an immense effect there," he said. 
         

The Papua New Guinea government has declared a state of
emergency. Emergency teams have already recovered more than 1,000
bodies and it's feared the death toll could reach 3,000. Another
5,000 villagers are left homeless.

The remote location of the disaster will mean problems for the
relief effort, Archbishop Ayong said. "It's very isolated and
miles from the nearest airstrip," he said.

Archbishop Ayong first heard news of the disaster early Saturday
following a four-day retreat by national Anglican church leaders
that led up to the conference. "I asked the other archbishops to
remember the people of Aipo Rongo in their prayers," he said.

The Papua New Guinea churches will be co-operating with the
government's emergency and ongoing relief effort in the coming
days, the archbishop said.

For further information, contact:

Lambeth Conference Communications
Canterbury Business School
University of Kent at Canterbury
Telephone: 01227 827348/9
Fax: 01227 828085
Mobile: 0374 800212

http://www.lambethconference.org