Head of the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea shocked by tidal wave disaster that devastated five villages overnight.

by Allan Reeder
Lambeth Conference Communications

Archbishop James Ayong, one of approximately 740 Anglican bishops gathering in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference, has asked for prayers for the victims of a tidal wave that struck his country on the night of July 17. His diocese of Aipo Rongo includes the isolated strip of coastline in the northwest region of Papua New Guinea that bore the brunt of the wave.

Archbishop Ayong said the West Sepik coast hit by the seven-metre high wave includes very low-lying marsh country. "I can imagine how the tidal wave would have an immense effect there," he said.

Early reports indicate that the tidal wave claimed more than 70 lives and left 5,000 villagers homeless.

The remote location of the disaster will mean problems for the relief effort, Archbishop Ayong said. "It's very isolated and miles from the nearest airstrip," he said.

Archbishop Ayong first heard news of the disaster early Saturday following a four-day retreat by national Anglican church leaders that led up to the conference. "I asked the other archbishops to remember the people of Aipo Rongo in their prayers," he said.

The Papua New Guinea churches will be co-operating with the government's emergency and ongoing relief effort in the coming days, the archbishop said.