More than 300 people feared dead in landslides in Papua New Guinea

Rescue teams arrived at the site of a massive landslide in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea on May 25, helping residents search for hundreds of people believed to have died under metres of rubble and mud.

The disaster occurred in Kaokalam village, Porgera town, Enga province, about 600km northwest of the capital Port Moresby. The landslide occurred in the early morning of May 24 (local time) when many villagers were sleeping.

According to The Guardian, local authorities fear that more than 300 people have been buried, a figure three times higher than the initial death toll. In addition to concerns about human casualties, the landslide also buried livestock, crops and wiped out the village of Kaokalam’s clean water supply.

A rapid response team of medical staff, military and police reached the disaster area after a complicated journey by road due to the difficult terrain and damaged major roads. The forces are urgently deployed to search for victims.

People search for victims under layers of soil and mud. Photo: Reuters

Serhan Aktoprak, a UN official in the capital Port Moresby, said that so far only four bodies have been pulled from the rubble. Many homes are buried and are inaccessible to rescue teams. In addition, the earth and rocks are still shifting, making rescue operations dangerous.

The area where the landslide occurred lies just south of the equator, an area that regularly experiences heavy rains. In March this year, at least 23 people were killed in a landslide in a neighboring province.

MINH CHAU

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/hon-300-nguoi-co-the-da-thiet-mang-do-lo-dat-o-papua-new-guinea-post741519.html