With so much regret, the Transport and Civil Aviation Minster Walter Schnaubelt has announced tragic news regarding the plane P2 -SAM. Minister Schnaubelt highlighted that the rescue and medical team finally reached the crash site of P2- SAM, and doctors have confirmed that there were no survivors. “It’s now confirmed that all five passengers on board including the pilot died on impact when the plane ran into the thick forest and mountainous terrain en-route to Nadzab airport, Lae around 10:30am on the 22nd of December, 2024.” “As Minister and all agencies under my portfolio, we grieve with the family of…
Author: Kerebi DAVID
A Heavy Rain Alert remains in force for the whole of the Fiji Group. The Nadi Weather Office says a Northerly wind flow prevails over the country. They say an active trough of low pressure is expected to approach the group from the North and gradually affect it. The Nadi Weather Office adds that localised heavy falls may lead to flash flooding in low-lying areas. Stay with us for updates. Source: Fijivillage.com
Twenty New Caledonian children who suffered the shock of Port Vila’s 7.3 magnitude earthquake have been repatriated from Vanuatu onboard a French military CASA aircraft. The special operation was conducted on Thursday, as part of relief operations conducted by the Nouméa-based French Armed Forces in New Caledonia in response to the destructive quake that shook the Vanuatu capital, where several buildings have collapsed. The group of children, from Northern New Caledonia (Népoui, Koné, Pouembout, and Poia), are aged between 8 and 14. They were visiting Vanuatu as part of a holiday camp organised by their sports association. They were supervised by four…
A cheque of K150million was handed over the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Willam Duma on Thursday by the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) Managing Director Mr. Wapu Sonk, the cheque was the final dividend payment for the year 2024. Before handing the cheque over to the State Own Minister, Mr. Sonk said this year 2024 was a tough year financially for KPHL, as they had to meet the PNG LNG Projects JV Cash calls associated with the finalisations of the connection of the Angora Field, raising the finance necessary to acquire an additional 2.6% in the PNG LNG Project and…
There are conflicting reports of the official death toll from a massive earthquake in Vanuatu as rescue teams continue to scour the rubble for survivors. On 17 December, the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office reported 14 deaths. It said four people had been confirmed dead by the hospital, six others were killed in a landslide and four others died in a collapsed building. But on Wednesday, the disaster management office reported only nine people had been confirmed dead by the hospital and made no mention of the deaths it had earlier attributed to the landslides and collapsed buildings. On Thursday evening,…
Following a video that went viral on social on Wednesday of an innocent five-year-old male child mercilessly killed and dumped in a drain along Vadavada in the Nation’s Capital, the acting Director for National Office for Child and Family Services, the office responsible for child protection, has strongly condemned the heinous killing of that innocent little child on all levels. Acting Director, Mr. Jerry Wap is now calling for an immediate thorough investigation to bring the perpetrator to face the full force of the law. “I strongly denounce in the strongest terms this heinous act that show a ruthless and…
Rescuers in Vanuatu will be under pressure to reach trapped people quickly, but there will be tough decisions if buildings aren’t safe to enter, a structural engineer says. Buildings have collapsed in the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila on Tuesday, killing 14 and injuring hundreds more. Locals have been working to pull people from the rubble, with New Zealand’s specialist Urban Search and Rescue team due to arrive on Wednesday to help. Structural Engineering Society president NicholasBrooke expected the death toll to rise, and said it was likely his colleagues supporting the rescue effort would have to make…
The death toll in Vanuatu has risen to fourteen following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake yesterday. Reports say more than 200 people have been treated for injuries Port Vila resident Michael Thompson says rescue crews were seen pulling three people alive, though injured, from a collapsed building and this has offered hope to search and rescue volunteers.
To address the fuel supply crises that was experienced by the country early this year, KPHL’s contractor, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Company has begun construction of a Jet A1 fuel import and storage facility at a site adjacent to the Motukea wharf. Kumul Petroleum Managing Director, Wapu Sonk highlighted that this facility is part of the commitment KPHL made to the Government and people of PNG earlier this year. Apart from facilitating short term imports of fuel, KPHL would ensure that they would organise medium and longer terms solutions so that such fuel supply…
An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila at a depth of 10km today, Tuesday 17th December 2024, this is according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). According to the earthquake caused bridges to collapse, triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings, plus communication lines were also cut off. ABC News reported a local journalist had confirmed with police at least one person is dead because of the earthquake. The ground floor of a building housing the US, French, UK and New Zealand embassies had been crushed under higher floors; resident Michael Thompson told AFP by satellite phone after…