papua new guinea

With transport and communications links to the affected Highlands provinces still badly disrupted, there is still no official death toll.

But police in Southern Highlands province said at least 11 people were confirmed dead in Mendi, and the provincial death and injury toll was expected to rise.

It was a similar story in the capital of neighbouring Hela province, Tari, where power was out and the cellphone tower was down.

A local man, Moses Komengi said there had been significant loss of life

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, after returning from the affected areas late yesterday afternoon, described the situation as a ‘sad day for PNG’.

“It is unfortunate whilst the economy is turning around and the commodity prices around the global markets have improved, which resulted in the increased in the country’s revenue, we are faced with this enormous challenge.

"Defence Force personnel in Hela, Southern Highlands and Western Highlands provinces are preparing to deploy when the extent of the damage has been confirmed and targeted relief operations initiated,” stated the PM in a statement.

"There are communities that have suffered from this natural disaster, and we are sending our soldiers and other Government agencies to support our people in their time of need.

"We know that there have been houses lost, roads cut by land slips and a disruption to services.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck at a depth of 35km in Komo-Magarima district.

It hit at 4am local time, according to the USGS.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said there was no risk of a tsunami in the aftermath of the quake.

The mobile phone network in the region has been disrupted, frustrating attempts by people in other parts of PNG to gauge initial reports of damage from the quake.

The small island just north of PNG's mainland began erupting last month, prompting the evacuation of over 600 residents to the East Sepik capital Wewak.

According to the Rabaul Volcano Observatory, Kadovar's eruption continues at a low-level with mild steaming at the summit, and gentle emission of lava.

But Governor Allan Bird said he has had to tell the resettled Kadovar community that a return was not viable.

He said they had accepted the sad news.

691 islanders were evacuated over the weekend after a volcanic eruption began on Friday and progressively intensified.

The Rabaul Volcanological Observatory's Steve Saunders said the surprise eruption on Kadovar had covered the island in ash but no lava had yet reached the surface.

Mr Saunders said it would either peter out or develop into a full blown eruption where magma and explosive gases escaped.

He said with the islanders successfully evacuated, the main concern now was whether a tsunami would be triggered and aviation disrupted.

The U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby confirmed this, stating that the hyperbaric decompression chamber located in Port Moresby is currently closed and disabled, with no timeline for when it will be reactivated.

In its simplest form, the hyperbaric chamber is a cylindrical metal or acrylic tube large enough to hold one or more persons and equipped with an access hatch that retains its seal under high pressure. Air, another breathing mixture, or oxygen is pumped in by a compressor or allowed to enter from pressurised tanks.

Ninety-one year-old Havala Laula died in the village of Kagi just before Christmas day.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels provided vital assistance to Australian troops in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War and were called Fuzzy Wuzzy for their unusually big unkempt afro hairstyle.

They carried supplies, building bases, airfields and other infrastructure, and evacuated the sick and wounded from the fighting in nearly inaccessible terrain.

In 2009, the Australian government awarded commemorative medals to the surviving angels or to their widows or widowers.

Stowers, who is 17 years old, set a new Commonwealth record in the women’s +90kg, lifting 108kg in the snatch, 131kg in the clean and jerk, and 239kg overall.

An emotional Stowers wiped away tears of joy as she climbed atop the podium to receive her three gold medals.

Luisa Peter of the Cook Islands claimed silver in the snatch and overall, while Nauru’s Charisma Amoe picked up silver in the clean and jerk.

In the men’s 94kg, Kari secured all three gold medals on offer, lifting 155kg in the snatch and 195kg in the clean and jerk.

Six nations will compete during a three-match festival at Campbelltown Stadium on June 23. Tonga, Samoa, Lebanon and Papua New Guinea will be joined by two further teams to be confirmed in the coming weeks.