More than 2,000 people are feared buried in a landslide that destroyed a remote highland village in Papua New Guinea, the government announced on Monday, May 27, 2024, pleading for international assistance in the rescue effort.
The once-bustling hillside community in Enga province was almost entirely wiped out when a chunk of Mount Mungalo collapsed early Friday morning, engulfing homes and their sleeping inhabitants.
“The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction to buildings, and food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country,” stated Papua New Guinea’s national disaster centre in a letter to the UN, obtained by AFP. The landslip also blocked the main highway to the Porgera gold mine.
Rescue efforts have been hindered by the ongoing movement of the landslip, which continues to “shift slowly, posing an ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike,” the disaster centre said. The scale of the catastrophe necessitates “immediate and collaborative actions from all players,” including the army and national responders.
The UN is scheduled to hold an emergency online meeting with foreign governments on Tuesday to coordinate the relief effort, which is complicated by the site’s remoteness, severed road links, and ongoing tribal fighting nearby.
Locals and rescue teams have been using shovels and wood to search for bodies under the landslide, which is believed to be up to eight meters (26 feet) deep. “Nobody escaped. We don’t know who died because records are buried,” said Jacob Sowai, a schoolteacher from a neighboring village.
UN migration agency official Serhan Aktoprak warned that the danger is ongoing: “The landmass is still sliding, rocks are falling from the mountain.” Streams of water are flowing between the soil and debris, creating cracks in adjacent land, which could trigger further sliding.
Australia has pledged to provide emergency relief supplies, including shelters and hygiene kits. China’s President Xi Jinping and leaders from the US, France, and Japan have also offered support.
The landslide may have been triggered by heavy rains in recent weeks. Papua New Guinea, with one of the wettest climates in the world, faces increased landslide risks due to shifting rainfall patterns linked to climate change. The disaster has displaced over 1,000 people, with ongoing tribal fighting further complicating humanitarian aid efforts.
Excavators are needed to clear the debris due to the rocky and clay-filled landslide, said Nickson Pakea, president of the nearby Porgera Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The nearby New Porgera Limited mining joint venture has agreed to provide mechanical diggers to aid the rescue efforts and clear roads.
Since the start of the year, Papua New Guinea has faced multiple natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, and landslides, stretching the resources of emergency services.
