More than six villages have been hit by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea. Around a hundred houses were buried. The toll is still unknown, but it could be very heavy.
A major landslide affected “more than six villages” located in a mountainous region of Papua New Guinea, local authorities said this Friday, May 24, who fear a heavy human toll. The disaster occurred overnight in the province of Enga, in the center of the archipelago.
The governor of this province, Peter Ipatas, indicated that “more than six villages” had been struck, describing the disaster as an “unprecedented natural disaster” having caused “considerable damage”. He added that this slide had caused “human losses and material damage”. However, Papua New Guinea’s national disaster management office had not yet provided an immediate assessment.
Hundreds of potential victims
A rescue team – made up of doctors, soldiers, police, members of UN agencies – was dispatched to the scene to assess the damage and treat the injured. From the images taken on site, we can see a mixture of rocks and earth that has broken away from Mount Mungalo, and debris from sheet metal shelters litter the ground.
Enga provincial governor Peter Ipatas said “more than six villages” had been hit, calling the disaster an “unprecedented natural disaster” that had caused “considerable damage.” #AFP pic.twitter.com/vqXsNdcEDY
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) May 24, 2024
According to Nickson Pakea, president of the Porgera Chamber of Commerce and Industry, up to 300 people were present in the landslide-affected village of Kaokalam at the time of the disaster. A figure which has not yet been confirmed. In this village, “it seems that more than 100 houses were buried,” said Vincent Pyati, president of a local association. “We do not yet know how many people were in these houses.”
Isolated area
Following the disaster, dozens of people immediately set to work to find possible survivors buried under piles of stones and earth. Equipped with headlamps, machetes and axes, they cleared the scree.
The acting secretary general of the national branch of the Red Cross, Janet Philemon, told AFP that the landslide had taken place in an isolated area and that it would perhaps take two days for the emergency services. emergency and help to reach the area. The Red Cross estimates that between 100 and 500 people may have been injured or killed in the landslide, but Philemon said she was trying to “get a clearer picture of the situation.”
Papua New Guinea: A major landslide affected 6 villages in the middle of the night in Enga province, in the center of the main island.
Australian media are reporting a potential death toll of more than 100 people.(AFP/ABCNews)pic.twitter.com/3lcGM4c16w
— Neurone Intelligence (@NeuroneIntel) May 24, 2024
The organization said it was ready to provide first aid to those affected and provide them with materials such as blankets. “There is no indication of an earthquake or anything that could have triggered” the phenomenon, explained Janet Philemon, adding that the affected area is a place of gold mining. “People may have been mining for gold on this mountain,” she said, also suggesting that the landslide may have been caused by heavy rains.
Located just south of the equator, the region regularly experiences heavy rainfall. In March, at least 23 people lost their lives when a landslide occurred in a neighboring province.