A major landslide in Papua New Guinea last week may have buried more than 2,000 people alive, the authorities warned on Monday. The possibility of a few surviving is increased by the site’s hazardous topography and the difficulties in transporting aid to the area.
2000 People To Be Buried In Papua New Guinea?
In a letter to the UN dated Sunday but issued on Monday, the National Disaster Center increased the number of people suspected of being buried to 2,000. Another UN body estimated that over 670 people could have died. That figure is far lower.
The variance is a reflection of the site’s remoteness and the challenge of obtaining a precise population estimate. Many PNG residents reside in remote mountain settlements, and the country’s last reliable census was conducted in 2000.
How Did The Landslide Happen?
As most of the villagers slept on Friday morning, at around three in the morning, a landslide ripped through Yambali village in the north of the country. Nearly two floors of debris covered more than 150 houses. Rescuers reported hearing screams from below the surface to the local media.
“I have 18 of my family members being buried under the debris and soil that I am standing on, and a lot more family members in the village I cannot count,” Evit Kambu, a villager, told Reuters. “But I cannot retrieve the bodies so I am standing here helplessly.”
Residents are still attempting to move the debris and locate any survivors more than 72 hours after the landslide using shovels, sticks, and their bare hands.
Due to the isolated location, heavy equipment and aid have been sluggish to reach. Additionally, the local tribal violence has compelled aid workers to return to the province capital, which is around 60 km (37 miles) away, at night in convoys protected by the military.
UN Reports Regarding The Papua New Guinea Landslide
According to a UN agency official, 30 houses were burned down and eight people were killed on Saturday. On Monday, relief trucks drove by the still-smoking wrecks of homes. A UN representative stated that the first digger didn’t arrive at the site until late on Sunday. Thus far, six bodies have been recovered.
Due to the site’s spotty reception and inadequate electricity, communication with other regions of the country is challenging.
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