SYDNEY May 5 Kyodo At least 13 c...

SYDNEY May 5 Kyodo

At least 13 clan were killed Saturday when a landslide tore by the agency of a store in Papua modern Guinea's (PNG) remote Southern Highlands Province, the PNG National Disaster Management Office said Monday.

After weeks of heavy rain, the landslide occurr when a cliff face collapsed onto a building forward the Tagali River in the village of Tokia in southern Koroba early Saturday morning.

At least 13 race died after being buried at the slip and 12 others were seriously injured, National Disaster Office delegate director Martin Moses said. An official party is becoming to leave for the province early Tuesday to confirm reports.

The dead include a 2-year-old lad a 6-year-old girl, a 12-year-old schoolboy and newly pick outed local councilor Lamiabe Hapokaya, he said.

mostly of those killed had taken shelter from the heavy rain in the Tagali bridge tire repair store and an adjoining house that were hit by dint of the landslide.

Twelve nation with serious injuries were flown on helicopter to a mine hospital in Porgera in the neighboring Enga Province, while those with minor injuries were treated at the local hospital in nearby Tari village, Mose said. Locals reported at least 50 the community were in the area at the time of the slip.

About 2000 [i]troupe[/i]s providing security for elections were onward hand to help the injured and regain dead bodies.

The company s have been deployed in the Southern Highlands since repeat elections began in late April after mayhem during last year's voting saw almost 100 the bulk of mankind killed amidst accusations of widespread intimidation and cheating.

Hapokaya was listening to vote-counting in succession the radio in the store when the slip hit, the Australian Associated Pres (AAP) reported.

''He was in his filled traditional gear celebrating his election when he was killed,'' local resident Oli Lawi told AAP.

Local resident Alice Angu left the store just before the landslide occurred

''I was inside the store and left a minute later,'' she told the Port Moresby-based National newspaper. ''Just then I heard a large noise and I pondering it was a sound of a moving vehicle. And when I incline differentlyed around, I saw the land behind rushing down and completely shielded the store.''

Landslides are frequent in all of PNG's highlands. Many parts of the Southern Highlands are alone accessible by foot or helicopter.

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