A local company is working overtime these days to ship essential equipment overseas to help mudslide victims in Papua New Guinea.
On Jan. 24, a major mudslide struck the South Pacific island nation, reportedly covering two villages and killing as many as 60 people.
The slide occurred in a remote, mountainous area of the country, which is also home to the ExxonMobile liquefied natural gas project. The only road into the plant has been cut off by the mudslide, stranding more than 4,500 workers.
With only 10 days of fuel remaining at the site and an estimated 35 days required to re-build the road, an urgent call was placed to Tilbury-based SEI Industries last week calling for several of the company's Fuel-Easy fuel containers.
The Fuel-Easy, which was invented and patented by SEI Industries more than 20 years ago, allows fuel to be transported via helicopter.
Division manager Paul Reichard said there are already a number of the units in the area, but more are needed quickly to get the required fuel to the stranded workers. The workers are using about 8,000 gallons of fuel at day to maintain basic needs and living accommodations.
So last Friday the decision was made to run the plant 24 hours a day until the order is filled.
"Local news media have stated that this was one of the worst landslides in Papua New Guinea, with witnesses reporting that the slide was about a kilometre long and a few hundred metres wide," the company said in a statement. "SEI Industries and its staff extend their heartfelt condolences for this tragedy."
Responding to natural disasters and other emergencies around the world is all in a day's work for the company.
"It happens at least once or twice a year," Reichard said.
SEI produces many products that are used to assist with humanitarian efforts, protect the environment, and support commercial and military operations in 110 countries around the world.
Products designed and manufactured by SEI Industries were used to help cool down a nuclear site after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year; provide clean, potable water storage in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti; and assist with Colombia's drug enforcement activities.
The company also produces custom decontamination trailers for use in biological, radiological and terrorist events as firefighting products that are used from Australia to Italy to Asia and right here in B.C.
