RSIPF warns public to take extra care during current wet weather
By MOFFAT MAMU
AN Asian man working for a logging company has been crashed to death during heavy flooding in West Guadalcanal last week.
A statement from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) said the 58-year-old Malaysian man was carried away when a flooded stream washed away the labour line at the Mangakiki logging camp of the Grace logging company on West Guadalcanal in the early hours of Friday, 7 February 2020.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Guadalcanal Province Chief Superintendent Ishmael Vunagi said the water rushed into the labour-line and within two minutes it flooded the residence the Asian employees were occupying.
“Information reaching police say the deceased decided to run back to his room and thats when he was washed away and smashed onto a nearby container by the flood. The body was later found among log debris.
“Upon receiving a report of the incident, police officers travelled to the scene of the incident and conducted inquiries. The logging company accepted the death of its employee as caused by the flood and do not wish the police to conduct further inquiries into the death. The body of the deceased has been since transported to the National Referral hospital (NRH) in Honiara,” the media statement said.
Yesterday Police issued a special appeal to people of Guadalcanal Province living besides rivers and streams have been warned to take extra precautions during the current wet driver which can lead to flash flooding.
“If you are residing by a river or a stream, take extra precautions when there is heavy rain as the river or stream may suddenly rise without any warning.
“We must look after each other. Check the banks of the river or stream several times especially at night and be prepared to move to higher grounds at a very short notice,” said PPC Vunagi.
He expressed condolences to the family members and work colleagues of the deceased as they mourn the tragic loss of their relative and work mate.
Meanwhile, the weather office has issued further warning advise yesterday about continuous rain and strong wind as a result of a trough which lies just over southern parts of Solomon Islands.
Over the past days the country has experienced heavy rain and strong wind resulting in many rivers and streams being flooded.
Reports reaching the paper from the provinces also highlighted landslides affecting homes and food gardens.
Many villagers have also lost their food gardens to flooding because of the continuous rain. Many of them are likely to face food shortage in the coming weeks, a villager told the paper over the weekend.
The bad weather has also affected classes with many students missing their classes over the past days.
Selwyn College in North West Guadalcanal is one of the schools affected by flooding. The students have been evacuated from campus over the weekend.
Classes are expected to start next week, according to report reaching the paper.
The bad weather has also affected many roads around the country which are now deteriorating as a result of the continuous heavy rain and flooding.
In Honiara the roads are now dotted with potholes except for the one being constructed by the Japanese Government.
