16 Nov 2007

PNG flooding kills three in Oro province

1:56 pm on 16 November 2007

At least three people are dead and around 2,000 villagers have been forced from their homes following four days of heavy rain and flooding in Papua New Guinea's Oro Province.

Disaster officials say dozens of houses along with bridges, roads and food gardens were washed away in the flooding.

There were no signs of let-up in the constant rains across southern PNG associated with tropical cyclone Guba in the Coral Sea now east of the north Queensland coast.

The Oro Provincial Disaster Coordinator Copland Gewa says large areas are flooded and many villages are under water.

Schools are closed, the water supply to the Oro provincial capital, Popondetta is shut down and PNG's national carrier Air Niugini has suspended flights to the province's main airport.