9 Mar 2004

Police reject media report of serious flooding in Western Highlands of PNG

9:12 pm on 9 March 2004

Police in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea say flooding there is not as bad as local media has reported.

The National newspaper said earlier that heavy rain had destroyed homes and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Assistant Commissioner for the Highlands Police, Alfred Reu, says flooding has disrupted traffic on the key Highlands Highway.

Mr Reu says although road maintenance crews are being stretched there have been no evacuations, accidents or deaths reported.

He says the flooding is typical during the rainy season.