Papua New Guinea Authorities Evacuate Close To 8000 People After Deadly Landslide, 2000 Feared Buried Alive

Papua New Guinea Landslide Update: A massive landslide hit a village in the remote, mountainous part of Papua New Guinea and the aftermath of the natural calamity are horrific, to say the least. The authorities are finding it difficult to assess the death toll of the landslide because according to UN Development Programme, in the past few years, several people moved into the area to flee tribal violence and so the population assessment is tough. On the landslide, which struck the Enga province, about 600 kms northwest of capital Port Moresby, the International Organisation for Migration had said that the death toll is more than 670 and the recent update says that over two thousand people are feared buried alive and the authorities are working to evacuate about eight thousand people in the midst of the natural calamity.

Papua New Guinea Authorities Evacuate Close To 8k People

Ahead of warning of further slips, authorities are busy evacuating about eight thousand people from the remote villages which are near the landslide site; the evacuation process is quite difficult because the road link has been damaged severely, there is heavy rainfall, the area of landslide is remote and there is also tribal violence nearby. The disaster may further worsen and according to a report by AFP, Enga Provincial Administrator Sandis Tsaka was quoted as saying, “the tragedy is still alive; every hour you can hear rock breaking – it is like a bomb or gunshot and the rocks keep falling down.”

Landslide In Papua New Guinea, Over 2000 People Buried Alive

Around 2000 people are feared to have been buried by the massive landslide that hit Papua New Guinea, reported CNN, citing the country’s National Disaster Centre. The rescuers have been struggling to find any survivors in the remote region. The landslide occurred in the mountainous Enga region in northern Papua New Guinea on Friday last week and the latest figure is a sharp rise from earlier estimates. “The landslide buried more than 2000 people alive, caused major destruction to buildings, food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country,” Lusete Laso Mana, Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, said in a letter to the UN.

“The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both rescue teams and survivors alike,” he said, adding that the main highway to the area had been completely blocked by the landslide. “Following the inspection conducted by the team, it was determined that the damages are extensive and require immediate and collaborative actions from all players,” Mana said, reported CNN.

(Inputs from ANI)