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Landslide in Papua New Guinea: 670 people feared dead
A devastating landslide occurred in a remote area of Papua New Guinea on Friday night. According to the UN, around 670 people are feared dead (see video above). "An estimated 150 houses are now buried," the organization said.
According to a local newspaper, the village of Yambali disappeared completely under the masses of earth. More than 3000 people lived in the affected remote area (Enga province). Footage from the site of the disaster shows local residents climbing over huge boulders and pulling bodies out from under the rubble.
The search for buried victims is being conducted under extremely difficult conditions. Road access to a village was blocked and the area was initially practically only accessible by helicopter. The ground is still moving and there is a risk of further landslides, said one aid worker. "The water is running and that creates a massive risk for everyone involved."
Heavy equipment is missing
There was also a lack of heavy equipment on site for the rescue operation. Local residents resorted to axes and machetes to uncover buried victims. Regional emergency services provided people with food and medicine. The governments of Australia and the USA offered their help.
The disaster occurred at around 3 a.m. on Friday (local time). Part of a mountain fell off. Only a few bodies have been recovered so far.
The country of Papua New Guinea is located north of Australia. Due to its proximity to the equator, heavy rainfall is a regular occurrence. The island nation, which has a population of around ten million, is also located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. Earthquakes occur there time and again. As recently as March, at least 23 people were killed in a landslide in a nearby province.
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