Safety of villagers paramount, says NDMO

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An earthquake around Mount Washington at Delainabukelevu in Kadavu. Picture: SUPPLIED

THE safety of the villagers and communities near Mt Washington on Kadavu is paramount and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) will work closely with the Mineral Resources Department (MRD) to assess the situation on the ground.

This was highlighted by the acting director of NDMO, Litiana Bainimarama, after a meeting with the MRD and the Eastern Division commissioner on Tuesday afternoon.

MRD’s principal technical officer Sakaraia Vunisa confirmed they had received reports of explosion-like noises and tremor through the media.

However, he said they needed to verify whether it was happening throughout the island of Kadavu or only within the vicinity of Mt Washington.

“There was a similar event in 1998 where a team was dispatched to Kadavu Island with the NDMO officials,” Mr Vunisa said.

“It was a major earthquake with a 6.7 magnitude which happened in Nabukelevu-i-ra where aftershocks lasted for a week.”

According to Mr Vunisa, it was best to get an actual assessment done before a way forward was explored.

The villages from Nabukelevu-i-ra were relocated while the Eliki Memorial School management decided to close the school as dust could be seen from the mountain.

Acting commissioner Eastern Inoke Tuiwainunu has confirmed that the provincial administrator for Kadavu and his officials were on the ground advising nearby villages and communities to avoid the landslide areas of Mt Washington.

He is also pleading with the villagers to avoid diving near the vicinity until further advice is issued by NDMO upon the completion of the assessment.

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