Rescuers have begun arriving at the site of a massive landslide in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea to help villagers search for dozens of people trapped under huge mounds of rubble and mud. UCA News reported this on May 25.
According to government officials, the disaster occurred in an isolated part of Enga province around 3:00 am on May 24, while many villagers were sleeping in their homes.
At least four bodies have been recovered, a UN official based in Papua New Guinea said, but it is feared hundreds more may be buried under rubble and rocks.
“Although the area is not as densely populated, we are concerned that the death toll may be disproportionately high.”said the humanitarian agency CARE on May 24, when the first rescue reinforcements began to arrive at the scene.
According to CARE, in the morning of the same day, a rapid response team consisting of doctors, military and police arrived at the site of the landslide. The trip was complicated by rugged terrain and damage to major roads.
According to the Red Cross as of May 25, about 500 people could be injured or killed.
Stephen Kandai, a local leader at the scene, told AFP that many residents did not have time to escape the elements.
“Suddenly there was a big landslide. “The mountain suddenly collapsed while people were still sleeping.”he said, adding that their houses were “completely covered in dirt.”
Photos from the scene showed a scene of complete devastation as a huge chunk of land broke away from the densely forested Mount Mungalo. The landslide left car-sized rocks, fallen trees and mud that spread to the valley floor.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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