Landslide kills many in Papau New Guinea

Landslide kills many in Papau New Guinea

Numerous people are thought dead after a terrible landslide devastated Papua New Guinea’s highlands on Friday, according to local officials and relief organisations.

Around three in the morning local time, the tragedy struck Kaokalam village in the isolated Enga province of Papua New Guinea.

Peter Ipatas, the provincial governor, told AFP that there had been “loss of life and property” due to the devastating landslide.

Photos from the site revealed a sizable portion of rock and earth split off from a hill covered with thick vegetation.

A vast and expansive rift of dirt, downed trees, and stones the size of cars extended towards the valley’s bottom.

At the base of an enormous landslide, the remnants of numerous corrugated tin shelters were visible.

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Numerous local men and women clambered over the dirt and rock heaps, excavating, calling out, keeping an ear out for survivors, or just standing there staring in shock at the scene.

A few quickly transformed into rescuers, putting on headgear, Wellington boots, and grabbing machetes and long-handled axes to assist in clearing the debris.

Cries came from youngsters who were being carried on their mothers’ backs as they moved.

“The landslide hit around three last night, and it looks like more than 100 houses got buried. It is not yet known how many people were in those houses,” Vincent Pyati, president of the local Community Development Association, told AFP.

“The number of victims is unknown.”

Aid organisations, such as CARE and the Red Cross of Papua New Guinea, reported that they had proof of the landslip and were investigating further.

The region, which is somewhat south of the equator, has severe rains frequently. There has been a lot of rain and flooding this year.

Landslide kills many in Papau New Guinea