A massive landslide is believed to have killed more than a hundred people and devastated six villages in a remote part of Papua New Guinea.
The landslide, which occurred in the Enga province in the country’s highlands, struck around 3 a.m. when most people were asleep in their homes.
“There has been a big landslide causing loss of life and property,” said Provincial Governor Peter Ipatas, amid unconfirmed reports that hundreds may have been buried.He described the scene as an “unprecedented natural disaster” that had caused “substantial damages.”
A rapid response team comprising medics, military personnel, police, and UN agencies has been sent to the area to assess the damage and help the wounded.
Aid agencies, including the Papua New Guinea Red Cross and CARE, said they were on standby and working to gather more information.
Images from the scene showed a vast bite of rock and soil ripped from the side of densely vegetated Mount Mungalo.
The landslide left a wide trail of debris down to the valley floor, consisting of boulders the size of cars, felled trees, and dirt. The remains of corrugated tin shelters were visible at the foot of the rubble.
Observers reported dozens of local men and women scrambling over the piles of rock and soil, digging, crying out, listening for survivors, or scanning the scene in disbelief. Many put on boots and head torches and picked up machetes and long-handled axes to help clear the rubble.
“The landslide hit around three last night, and it looks like more than 100 houses got buried,” the president of the local Community Development Association, Vincent Pyati, told AFP.
“It is not yet known how many people were in those houses. The number of victims is unknown.”
Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Management Office confirmed it could not provide an accurate death toll at this stage.
Nickson Pakea, president of the nearby Porgera Chamber of Commerce and Industry said there are fears that up to 300 people may have been in the village at the time. The Red Cross estimates the number of injured or dead could be between 100 and 500.
Red Cross PNG interim secretary general Janet Philemon said the landslide’s location was remote, and it could take up to two days for emergency services or aid to reach the area.
The agency was on standby to offer first aid, blankets, and non-food items to those affected.
“There is no indication of an earthquake or anything that may have triggered [this event]. It is a gold mining area and people may have been gold mining on that mountain,” she said.
Otherwise, the landslide may have been caused by heavy rain. Sitting just south of the equator, the area gets frequent heavy rains, and this year it has seen intense rainfall and flooding.
In March, a landslide in a nearby province claimed the lives of at least 23 people.
On May 23 at 7 a.m., a day before the landslide, a strong magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean, 98 km (61 mi) from Papua New Guinea.
The Australian government stated it was “making enquiries with local authorities to determine whether any Australians have been affected.”
A spokesperson added, “The Australian Government offers its sympathies to those affected by landslides in Papua New Guinea.”
