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“As the landslide continues to move slowly, the situation remains unstable, posing a constant risk to both rescue teams and survivors,” the National Disaster Center said in a letter to the United Nations.
SYDNEY, Australia – More than 2,000 people were buried alive by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea last week, with few survivors due to the difficult terrain and difficulty in reaching rescue workers, the National Disaster Center said on Monday, May 27.
The number of people buried around the village of Yambali in the country’s northern Enga province is based on estimates by local authorities and has been rising steadily since the landslide hit on Friday.
The United Nations agency estimated on Sunday that the death toll had exceeded 670.
The National Disaster Center again raised the death toll to 2,000 in a letter to the United Nations on Sunday that was released publicly on Monday. The center said the landslides also caused serious damage to buildings and vegetable gardens.
“As the landslide continues to move slowly, the situation remains unstable and poses a constant danger to both rescue teams and survivors,” the letter read.
Justin McMahon, Papua New Guinea country director for International Relief, told ABC television on Monday that about 4,000 people live near the affected area.
But it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of the population because Papua New Guinea’s last reliable census was in 2000 and many people live in remote mountain villages. The country recently announced it will conduct a census in 2024.
Unstable terrain, remote location and nearby tribal fighting have hampered relief efforts in Papua New Guinea.
An emergency team led by Papua New Guinea (PNG) defence personnel arrived at the scene, but the first excavator did not arrive until late Sunday, according to UN officials.
Videos posted on social media by villagers and local media teams showed people climbing rocks and digging with shovels, sticks and their bare hands in search of survivors. Women could be heard crying in the background.
Six bodies have been found so far, and the United Nations says the death toll could change as rescue efforts are expected to continue for days.
Papua New Guinea media reported on Monday that local residents successfully rescued a couple trapped in the rubble after hearing their cries for help.
Johnson and Jack Ryan Youngdam told local NBC News they were very grateful and described their rescue as a miracle.
“We thank God for saving our lives at that moment. We were sure we were going to die, but the big rocks didn’t crush us,” Jacklyn said. “It’s really hard to explain because we were trapped for almost eight hours before we were rescued. We believe we were rescued for a purpose.”
About 1,250 people were displaced by landslides in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province in the early hours of Friday morning. More than 150 houses were buried and about 250 houses were abandoned.
“The houses are buried under about 8 meters (26.3 feet) of mud. So there’s a lot of rubble that needs to be cleared,” said CARE’s McMahon.
Dangerous situations
The UN migration agency said water was still flowing under the rubble, making it extremely dangerous for residents and rescue teams to clear the debris.
Serhan Aktoprak, head of the UN migration agency’s mission in Papua New Guinea, told ABC television that rescuers would continue searching for survivors until residents asked them to stop.
Aktoprak said the rescue team has eight vehicles, but he hopes to receive more resources soon.
Tribal violence in the area has raised road safety concerns, with troops escorting rescue teams. The UN agency said eight people were killed and five shops and 30 houses were burned on Saturday.
Papua New Guinea granted the military the power to arrest after tribal violence broke out in February, with at least 26 men killed in an ambush.
The landslide hit a stretch of road near the Porgera gold mine, which is operated by Barrick Gold Corp. through its joint venture with China’s Zijin Mining Company, Barrick New Guinea Ltd. Barrick said it had enough fuel at the mine to operate for 40 days and other key supplies for longer. – Rappler.com
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