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Port Moresby Businesses shocked over bomb blast

BUSINESS houses and tenants residing in buildings near the Sea Park and Down Town Central Business District area have expressed disappointment in the last minute notice of the blasting that took place yesterday at Ela Beach.

The blasting of Sea Park’s iconic but dilapidated aquarium structure to make way for land reclamation by Global Construction yesterday left commuters and office workers baffled about the explosion which rattled parts of the CBD as most of them were not notified in advance of the impending blasting and were left terrified and panicking.

Gau Morea, a marketing officer with the Kenmore Limited’s Property division which looks after the Ela Beach Tower, said that they were made aware by the police in the morning, alerting the public at Ela Beach and nearby buildings about the blasting which was to be conducted at 11am.

"But just before 11am, the Sea park structure was blasted, while some of our maintenance crew were still on the scaffolds doing maintenance work in front of the Ela Beach Tower," Mr Morea said.

He also said that the Ela Beach Tower accommodates mostly residential tenants who make up 90 per cent of the occupants while the remaining 20 per cent is made up of the commercial tenants.

"After the blasting, one of our tenants complained that his glass window nearly came off after the silicon glue which was holding the window became loose caused by the blasting," Mr Morea said.

One of the five maintenance workers on the scaffold, Darius Bagali said that they had held on tightly to the scaffolds when the blasting took place but likely none of them were hurt in the process.

Mary Andrew , building supervisor for ADF building which is run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Port Moresby said that the building management was made aware by tenants who were on their balcony hearing the warning of the impending blast, blearing from the police speaker urging everyone to move away from the blast area near Bramel street and the temporary Ela Beach bus stop. Post Courier/ ONEPNG
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