More than 300 people buried in landslide in Papua New Guinea

Hundreds of people are feared dead after a landslide struck Kaokalam village in Enga province, about 600 km northwest of the capital Port Moresby, at about 3 a.m. local time on Friday.

The landslide occurred in an isolated area in Enga province, Papua New Guinea. Photo: AFP

The Papua New Guinea Post Courier newspaper quoted a member of parliament as saying that a landslide in the Pacific nation north of Australia buried more than 300 people and 1,182 homes.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said on Saturday that more than six villages had been affected by the landslide in the Mulitaka region. “The Australian High Commission in Port Moresby is in close contact with PNG authorities to further assess the extent of damage and casualties,” a DFAT spokesperson said.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday that four bodies had been pulled from the area after emergency crews arrived in the sparsely populated area, where the death toll was expected to rise. The landslide blocked access to the highway, leaving helicopters the only way to reach the area, the broadcaster said.

Video posted on social media by villagers of Ninga Role shows people climbing over rocks, uprooted trees and mounds of earth in search of survivors. Women can be heard crying in the background.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said disaster agencies, the Defence Force and the Ministry of Works and Highways were assisting in relief and recovery efforts.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, NDTV, AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hon-300-nguoi-bi-chon-vui-trong-vu-lo-dat-nghiem-trong-o-papua-new-guinea-post296866.html