The South Pacific island nation has formally requested international assistance in dealing with Friday’s disaster
More than 2,000 people could be buried under the rubble left behind by Friday’s deadly landslide in Papua New Guinea, AP has reported, citing a letter the South Pacific island nation’s authorities have sent to the United Nations.
Early on Friday, a side of Mount Mungalo, located some 600 kilometers (373 miles) to the north of the capital, Port Moresby, collapsed, completely covering Yambali village with a mix of rocks, mud and uprooted trees. The natural disaster also severed the main provincial highway in the area, compounding rescue efforts.
Another obstacle faced by humanitarian convoys are tribal hostilities in the region, with military personnel needed to protect aid shipments.
The acting director of Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Center, Luseta Laso Mana, wrote to the United Nations on Sunday that the landslide had “buried more than 2,000 people alive” and caused “major destruction.”
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Papua New Guinea landslide death toll likely over 670 – UN body
Mana, who visited the affected area personally in the wake of the national disaster, warned that it would have serious economic repercussions for the island nation, and formally requested international assistance, according to AP.
Earlier that same day, Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the International Organization for Migration’s mission in Papua New Guinea, told AP that local authorities “are estimating that more than 670 people [are] under the soil at the moment.” He explained that the number was based on the average population figures per household in the region, adding, however, that the estimated death toll was “not solid.”
As for the latest assessment by Papua New Guinea authorities, Aktoprak said: “We are not able to dispute what the government suggests but we are not able to comment on it.”
Meanwhile, local officials acknowledged that they had initially underestimated the number of residents in Yambali village.
Since tragedy struck on Friday, the projected death toll has soared from a little over 100 victims to more than 2,000.
According to media reports, so far rescuers have only managed to recover six bodies, with the number of those injured unclear.
The landslide has left at least 1,250 homeless, AP reported, citing local authorities.