On Septemeber 19th 1994 ash began spewing out of Mt Tavurvur and Mt Vulcan while the island of Matupit sat in the Simpson Harbor directly inbetween the two volcanos. As the ash became unbearable many of the locals fled to the nearby town Kokopo, while some stubborn locals stayed behind shoveling the constant falling ash off the houses. Weeks later the government granted a large piece of land south of Kokopo for the village to relocate. While some have accepted their new land, others are still making their way back to the once beautiful island. Two to three thousand live on the island today, around 75% of the original population.
Found Menrint James wondering along the beach near his home. While some locals claim the ash has caused no health problems others said the sulpher was causing asthema and tuberculosis.
The locals mentioned the bridge to their island as we drove over it without adding the fact that it was only ash and dirt under the bridge and they did not live on an island anymore.
East side of Matupit looking toward Mt Tavurvur
Volcanic ash inside the Matupit Primary School. The two-classroom school was used for grades 1-4.
Palex Tioman with his wife and five kids outside his original house. Palex said he left the village the day the volcanoes erupted but returned the next day. He does not have a job. Coconut planations were the main source of income before the eruptions. Like many locals he survives on fishing and digging for wild fowl eggs near the volcano.
There are many houses in the town with collapsed roofs. Being too expensive to fix, some residents have tried to repair them while others built new homes out of bush materials and scavenged metal scraps.
[Thank you National. The words and some
of these photos were printed in the National's
Weekender paper, February 25th 2011]
of these photos were printed in the National's
Weekender paper, February 25th 2011]
