Landslide in Papua New Guinea: ‘Buried more than 2,000 people alive’

More than 2,000 people were trapped in their homes when a massive landslide hit a remote village in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific nation’s authorities told the United Nations in a letter seen by AFP.

The National Emergency Response Center said in a message to the United Nations delegation in the capital, Port Moresby, that “the landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused severe damage.”

A United Nations official said earlier today that rescue teams are in a “race against time” to find survivors.

Rescuers work in dangerous conditions, especially due to falling rocks

“It has been more than three days since the disaster struck. We are in a race against time, but the question is whether we will be able to Of finding people alive.

A hillside village in Inga Province, in the central part of the archipelago, was almost completely wiped off the map when part of Mount Mongalo collapsed overnight from Thursday to Friday at around 03:00 (local time; around 20:00 on Thursday in Greece) and buried dozens of homes while their residents were asleep.

Mr. Oktoberak stressed that rescue teams were working in dangerous conditions, “mainly due to falling rocks.”

He added that it was decided to evacuate about 250 homes a short distance from the disaster site as a precautionary measure.

The National Emergency Response Center said, “The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused severe damage.”

Initially, humanitarian organizations and representatives of local authorities expressed fears that between 100 and 300 people were missing.

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The death toll later rose to about 670 when rescue teams realized that the village hit by the landslide had a much larger population than thought, Mr. Oktobrak explained. Today, authorities said they fear as many as 2,000 people may be buried somewhere.

At this point, the authorities have recovered four bodies from the wreckage.

NOW – New estimates indicate that the death toll exceeds 670 people as a result of the landslide that occurred in northern Papua New Guinea on Friday. pic.twitter.com/IBT2rM9jr0

– Overton (@OvertonLive) May 27, 2024

“No one can escape”

Heavy vehicles are expected to arrive in the affected area today, but their arrival was delayed due to inter-clan violence, which broke out on the only road by which they could get there, according to Mr. Oktrak.

But he clarified that the violent incidents were “not related to the landslide.”

Jacob Sway, a teacher in a nearby village, told AFP that more than 2,000 people live in the affected area.

“The world has been destroyed. No one can escape. It is very difficult to gather information. We don’t know who died because the records were also buried,” he added.

Nixon Basia, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in nearby Burzera, said residents of neighboring countries were helping to recover the bodies.

Many use hoes and agricultural implements.

“Because of how hard the rocks are (…) it is very complicated,” he added, adding that excavators are needed to remove the debris.

The local mining company, New Porgera Ltd., has agreed to make excavators and other machinery available to assist rescue crews and clear roads.

In all, more than 1,000 people in the area were hastily evacuated from their homes due to the disaster, according to humanitarian estimates.

high rain

Residents of the area believe that the landslide was caused by the heavy rains witnessed in the past few weeks.

According to the World Bank, Papua New Guinea has one of the wettest climates in the world, and its wettest areas, especially in the highlands, often receive heavy rains.

Scientists warn that fluctuations in rainfall due to climate change are increasing the risk of landslides in the country.

In March, at least 23 people were killed in a landslide in a neighboring province.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday on the X website that Paris is “ready to contribute to aid and reconstruction efforts.”

In a press release published by his White House services, US President Joe Biden said that he and his wife, Jill, were “devastated” by the “loss of life and devastation.”

Information: AP, Agence France-Presse