destruction
Huge landslide in Papua New Guinea
A landslide has reportedly killed several dozen people in a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea. Photo
© Ninga Role/NINGA ROLE/AAP Image/dpa
In the middle of the night, a devastating landslide occurred in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. More than 100 people are said to be buried. Australia is offering help.
A huge landslide has occurred in the highlands of Papua New Guinea buried a village and buried dozens of people. The extent of the damage is dramatic: more than 100 people could be buried under the earth, reports the Australian broadcaster ABC, citing eyewitnesses and residents.
The accident occurred overnight in the remote province of Enga. Prime Minister James Marape expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and said that civil protection workers and the military would be dispatched to assist with the rescue efforts. Videos broadcast in the media showed huge amounts of rubble piled up several meters high.
“It happened early in the morning when people were still sleeping, and the whole village is destroyed,” said Elizabeth Laruma, chairwoman of a local women’s association. “As far as I can tell, at least 100 people are buried underground.” Enga province is about 600 kilometers from the capital Port Moresby.
Difficult situation for rescue workers
It was initially unclear whether rescue workers had already reached the area. The local news site JB143 PNG spoke of “catastrophic destruction” on Facebook. It is not yet certain how many people were buried. “The full extent of the casualties is not yet known,” it said. Rescue teams are having difficulty reaching the region due to the difficult terrain and the huge size of the landslide. The landslide also affected the Porgera gold mine, one of the largest gold mines in the world.
“A tragic event has occurred in Papua New Guinea, our near and dear friend,” tweeted Australian opposition leader in the Senate Simon Birmingham. The first images and reports are shocking. Australia is offering all the help needed.
The tropical island of Papua New Guinea lies north of Australia. Because of its proximity to the equator, heavy rainfall is not uncommon. Just in March, 23 people died in a landslide in a nearby province. Ten million people live in the Commonwealth country, most of them in abject poverty – despite rich deposits of raw materials such as oil, gas and gold.