Papua New Guinea calls for international help after landslide disaster

The Papua New Guinea government says a landslide in the country's Enga province has buried more than 2,000 people, and has formally appealed for international help.

Địa điểm xảy ra vụ lở đất ở làng Yambali thuộc vùng Maip Mulitaka, tỉnh Enga, Papua New Guinea. — The site of the landslide in Yambali village in Maip Mulitaka, Enga province, Papua New Guinea.

In a letter to the UN resident coordinator on May 26, the acting director of Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Center said the landslide "buried more than 2,000 people alive" and caused "massive devastation".

The letter said: "The situation remains volatile as the landslide continues to progress slowly, posing a continuing danger to both rescue workers and survivors."

The death toll from the landslide given by the Papua New Guinea government is about three times higher than the United Nations estimate of 670. Estimates of the number of casualties have varied widely since the disaster, and it is unclear where officials get their data.

Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Center said the dangerous terrain and difficulty in getting aid would reduce the chances of finding many survivors. The remote location and nearby tribal conflicts also hampered relief efforts.

About 4,000 people are living near the affected area, Justine McMahon, director of volunteer organization CARE International Papua New Guinea, said on May 27.

However, it is difficult to determine the total local population precisely because the last reliable census was in 2000, not to mention many people living in remote mountain villages. The country recently said it will conduct a new census in 2024.

Emergency rescue teams led by Papua New Guinea defense personnel were on the scene when the landslide occurred, but it was not until late on May 26 that the first excavator reached the area, according to a United Nations official.

Social media footage posted by villagers and local media showed people climbing cliffs, digging with shovels, sticks and their bare hands to find survivors.

Người dân đào bới đống đổ nát tại hiện trường vụ lở đất ở làng Yambali, vùng Maip Mulitaka, tỉnh Enga, Papua New Guinea, ngày 27/5. — People dig through rubble at the site of a landslide in Yambali village, Maip Mulitaka region, Enga province, Papua New Guinea, May 27.

So far, six bodies have been found. The UN said the death toll could change as rescue efforts are expected to continue for several days.

Earlier, a landslide occurred in Enga province in the early morning of May 24, forcing the evacuation of about 1,250 people. About 250 houses were abandoned, more than 150 houses were buried under up to 8 meters of soil.

Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister said the country was preparing to send aircraft and other equipment to assist in the search and rescue of those trapped.

Meanwhile, rescue forces are racing against time to search for survivors.

The Papua New Guinea government is focusing on cleaning up the scene, repairing major transportation routes, distributing food and water, and establishing safe areas for people to evacuate.

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