Landslide kills more than 2000 people in Papua New Guinea
28 May 2024 09:54
A large-scale tragedy has occurred in Papua New Guinea – a powerful landslide has buried more than 2,000 people in remote mountain villages in the Enga province. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" reports with reference to Reuters.
The disaster occurred early on Friday morning, when most residents of the six villages were still asleep. More than 150 houses were completely buried under a layer of mud and debris, in some places almost two storeys deep. Witnesses said they heard cries for help coming from underground.
The government estimates that about 4,000 people are trapped in the rubble. However, due to the inaccessibility of the region and outdated census data, it is extremely difficult to establish the exact number of victims. Many people in the mountain villages of Papua New Guinea are constantly moving between the homes of relatives and friends.
Rescue operations are complicated by the remoteness of the area and periodic outbreaks of inter-tribal conflicts in the area. It took three days for the first excavator to arrive at the site of the tragedy. Prior to that, residents tried to clear the rubble themselves using shovels and even their bare hands. As of Monday, only five bodies had been recovered.
The Papua New Guinea government has deployed its defence forces and asked Australia and New Zealand for help. However, due to unstable ground, rain and water flows, as well as the risk of new landslides, the chances of reaching possible survivors are extremely low. Most rescuers admit that at this stage, the only thing left is the sad mission of clearing the rubble.
More than 250 homes had to be evacuated, and more than 1,250 people were left homeless. The authorities have promised to rebuild the destroyed villages and restore the main road to the town of Porgera and the gold mine. China and Australia have also announced humanitarian aid to help with the disaster.
