Hanuabada fire 2017

“The fire may have started through carelessness or accidentally,” acting Chief of Fire Service, Bill Roo, stated this during a media conference this morning.

He told the media that based on witness statements and findings, fire investigators have identified where the fire started.

However, conclusively they could not say what exactly started the fire because most of the evidence were completely destroyed due to the intensity of the fire.

In a recent conversation with the Fire Service department, acting Chief of Fire, Bill Roo, apologised for the delay, saying it was all for good reason.

He adds that after being briefed by the lead investigators, he is now able to release the full report.

Meanwhile, the Hanuabada fire appeal has been receiving overwhelming support from general public, business houses and corporate companies in the National Capital District.

Organising committee representative, Lohia Boe Samuel, confirmed that K730,000 has been raised so far for the appeal.

However, the Chief of Fire is yet to be briefed on the findings report.

Chief of Fire, Bill Roo, told Loop PNG that he had just returned from a meet for fire service abroad yesterday and will have to meet with his lead investigators before releasing the report to the public.

Roo apologised for the delay, adding that he will call for a media conference to release the findings by the end of this week.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation into the burnt houses at Hanuabada village has begun with a total of K730,000 raised so far since the start of donations in August.

Steamships Limited presented a K20,000 cheque to the HB fire appeal this morning to help with the rehabilitation of the houses that were burnt down on August 19.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of the fire victims was Edea Sisia Nou and Kaia Reva.

Also a fire victim, Nou said he was visiting his family in the Cook Islands when he heard news of the fire destroying his home.

“We came back two days later to find our homes burnt to nothing,” he said.

In a statement announcing its support to the Hanuabada fire appeal, chairman Nathaniel Poiya said the ‘Big Village’ was an important stakeholder and the company will help in anyway it can to ease the suffering inflicted on the villagers.

Poiya said this when presenting K20,000 to representatives of the Hanuabada Fire Appeal.

PNG Ports is among several companies to assist following the devastating fire that destroyed 18 homes and displaced more than 200 people.

Poiya and Managing Director, Stanley Alphonse, conveyed their sympathies to them.

International development NGO, the Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF), and Australian charity, SolarBuddy, this week worked alongside Hanuabada relief coordinators, Dadi Toka Jnr and Lohia Boe Samuel, to deliver solar lights to the community.

SolarBuddy and KTF have been partnering for the past 12 months to light up the lives of children and families in remote areas across PNG.

This is according to Dadi Toka Junior, co-chair of the Hanuabada Village Fire Appeal.

The clarification comes after a daily published an article, allegedly a press release, hinting at the relocation of the villagers.

The article read: “Prime Minister Peter O’Neill expressed interest in the resettlement plan for Hanuabada village following his meeting with village leaders last Friday.”

Located 20 minutes away from Hanuabada village on the outskirts of Port Moresby, more than 100 Edai Tano residents donated bags and boxes of clothing, kitchenware and utensils, furniture and food.

Edai Town residents’ spokesperson, Dickson Popo, said having settled on their land, the residents took the initiative to help the indigenous Motu Koitabuans.

They were supported by developer of Edai Town, Boera Business Holding, represented by chairman Madaha Maina, who presented a cheque of K5,000.

NCDC Community and Social Services Manager, Kila Dick, says the call centre committee is set up to coordinate and monitor donations from organisations and individuals so that whatever they contribute will go straight to the victims.

The call centre lines are now open for business houses and the general public to contribute any goods and items to the victims.

He said the donations that the team will be receiving will be mainly food, clothes and materials such as beddings, cooking utensils and stationery.

Hanuabada village has produced many great Team PNG athletes and officials for Papua New Guinea and the fiery tragedy is an opportunity for Team PNG to repay their efforts and show its support for the big village.

The PNG Olympic Committee is appealing to fellow Team PNG members and the PNG sports community to contribute to the Team PNG ‘Giving Is Winning’ donation drive.