Papua New Guinea: Thousands feared dead in tragic landslide, UN reports 670 missing

There are growing fears that the number of missing individuals following a deadly landslide in Papua New Guinea could reach into the thousands, according to a government agency. The acting director of the National Disaster Centre indicated in a letter that more than 2,000 people might have been buried alive during the disaster on Friday.

The landslide, which occurred early on Friday morning, obliterated a bustling village in Enga province. The disaster’s scale is immense, with damage extending nearly a kilometre. Approximately 3,800 people were living in the area prior to the calamity, according to a BBC report.

Rescue and Recovery Efforts

Rescue operations have been severely hampered by debris, with rubble reaching depths of 10 metres (32 feet) in some areas. The lack of adequate equipment has further complicated these efforts. So far, fewer than a dozen bodies have been recovered, while the United Nations (UN) has estimated the number of missing at 670.

Government and Local Response

Prime Minister James Marape expressed his condolences and dispatched Papua New Guinea’s defence force and emergency agencies to the affected area, located about 600 kilometres north-west of the capital, Port Moresby. However, residents of Kaokalam village, the site of the disaster, report that they are still awaiting substantial official assistance for larger rescue operations.

Evit Kambu, a local resident, shared her distress: “I have eighteen of my family members buried under the debris and soil that I am standing on. And a lot more family members in the village I cannot count,” she told Reuters. Kambu’s statement highlights the profound personal losses experienced by the community.

Local Efforts and Challenges

A community leader visiting the site told the BBC that locals felt abandoned, relying on shovels and bare hands to dig through the debris. “It’s been almost three to four days now but many bodies are not located yet. It is still covered by the landslide and people are finding it really hard to dig them out – they are calling for the government for support and help,” Ignas Nembo told the BBC’s Newshour programme.

Acting Provincial Police Commander Martin Kelei described the precarious nature of rescue efforts, as moving car-sized boulders and other large obstacles could trigger further landslides. “Digging is very hard at the moment because we’re worried about further landslides and deaths – so local people are only digging from where they can see it is safe. We are trying to identify wherever we can see that people are buried,” he explained.

Ongoing Rescue Efforts

Reports indicate that some survivors have been pulled from the rubble, such as a couple whose house only caught the edge of the landslide. They were rescued after their cries for help were heard by workers, according to local NBC reports. Meanwhile, remaining residents are being evacuated due to the high risk of additional landslides amid forecasted rain.

Justine McMahon, Papua New Guinea’s coordinator of Care Australia, one of the humanitarian aid agencies on the ground, noted the instability of the terrain. “The ground is also quite unstable at the moment and it is at risk of triggering further landslides. We’ve decided to stay out for now to allow the authorities time to properly assess the situation to conduct the rescue and recovery operations,” McMahon said.

Challenges in Recovery

Serhan Aktoprak, from the International Organisation for Migration, described the challenges faced by rescue teams. He noted that some grieving relatives are reluctant to allow heavy machinery near their loved ones, opting instead for manual tools like digging sticks and spades to recover bodies. Debris from the landslide includes large boulders, trees, and displaced soil, which complicates rescue operations.

Additionally, major damage to the sole road leading to the town, with approximately 200 metres (650 feet) affected, is further impeding efforts, McMahon reported.

Cause of the Landslide

Local officials and media have attributed the mountain’s collapse to weeks of heavy rain and other wet conditions in the area. The Mount Mungalo landslide in the highlands of Enga has become a tragic reminder of the vulnerability of communities to natural disasters and the urgent need for efficient emergency response mechanisms.

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