On the beach, the mass graves were marked with pink ribbons on crude wooden crosses. In the mangroves, the crocodiles feasted on the human debris of the tidal wave which crashed at Sissano Lagoon. An injured nine-year-old girl who was recovered yesterday from the South Pacific disaster zone was feared to be perhaps the last of the 10,000 residents to be found alive. The official body count rests at 800, but fresh estimates now suggest between 3,000 and 8,000 could have perished as a result of Friday night's unpredictable natural disaster.
In the confusion and isolation, thousands are still listed as missing, but the fight has now switched from evacuation to saving the survivors. But with countless bodies still floating in the lagoon, there are fears contaminated water could spread potentially fatal diseases among the survivors, who are beginning to drift back to what was their homes. A doctor, Brother Garry Hill, said the rescued were coming out of shock and realising they could now be homeless and without loved ones.
"They didn't even have time to cry over them or sit with them when they died, or take part in their burial. Psychologically I think some of them are utterly going to drop their bundle," he said.
The people of West Sepik Province are Christian. It is also part of their tradition to spend time with relatives' bodies to tell stories and weep. Yet with bodies decomposing in the heat and being savaged by animals, villagers are burying and burning the bloated remains where they find them.
The gravediggers are unable to identify the disfigured corpses and just keep a count. "We have no time and resources for the dead," said provincial governor, Mr John Tekwie.
AFP adds: A local Catholic bishop, Dr Cesare Bonivento, said Australian army officers had told him only 500 survivors had been airlifted out of the strip of coastline which was wiped away by the tidal wave on Friday night. He pointed out that some 10,000 people had lived in villages along the devastated coastline.
"So if you work backwards, possibly the number could be as high as 8,000 dead," he said. "I don't want to alarm anybody, but without doubt the number of dead is higher than the number of survivors."
The PNG Prime Minister, Mr Bill Skate, said that while the official death toll was 1,200, about 5,000 people were unaccounted for.
Trocaire yesterday announced it was allocating £11,000 towards the purchase of medicines and other necessary supplies for Papua New Guinea.