Melbourne, Australia An emergency response is currently underway in Papua New Guinea, where a landslide that engulfed a village in a remote, mountainous region on Friday is believed to have claimed the lives of over 100 individuals, according to the South Pacific island nation’s leader and news media.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the landslide occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Kaokalam village, which is located in Enga province, approximately 370 miles northwest of the capital, Port Moresby.
though authorities have not verified the figure, residents have reported that the death toll is expected to exceed 100. . Villagers asserted that the number of fatalities could be significantly greater.
The landslide buried over 50 homes, many of which had occupants who were asleep, according to villager Ninga Role.
RolRole, who was absent at the time of the avalanche, informed The Associated Press that he anticipates that at least four of his relatives have perished. “There are several enormous trees, vegetation, and stones.” “The structures collapsed,” Role stated. These items are complicating the process of rapidly locating bodies.”
Prime Minister James Marape stated that the authorities were responding and that he would disclose information regarding the devastation and loss of life as soon as it was accessible.
“I have not yet received a comprehensive explanation of the circumstances.” However, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the families of those who perished in the landslide catastrophe that occurred in the early hours of this morning,” Marape stated in a statement.
“We are deploying disaster officials, the PNG Defense Force, and the Department of Works and Highways to commence relief efforts, the recovery of corpses, and the reconstruction of infrastructure,” he further stated.
Locals are depicted in social media videos excavating bodies that were concealed beneath boulders and trees.
The Papua New Guinean police and government did not promptly respond to requests for comment.
The village homes were flattened when the side of a mountain gave way, according to Elizabeth Laruma, who is the director of a women’s business association in Porgera, a town located in the same province as the Porgera Gold Mine.
“The village has collapsed while people were still slumbering in the early hours,” Laruma stated to ABC. “Based on my understanding, there are approximately one hundred individuals who are buried beneath the earth.”
She stated that the landslide had obstructed the road connecting Porgera to the village, which raised concerns regarding the town’s own supply of fuel and products.
Belinda Kora, an ABC correspondent based in Port Moresby, stated that helicopters were the sole means of accessing the village, which is situated in the mountainous interior region known as the Highlands, due to the closure of the main road.
According to local media reports, the landslide had an impact on the Porgera gold mine, which Barrick Gold runs through Barrick Niugini Ltd., a joint venture with China’s Zijin Mining.
A spokesperson for the mine informed Reuters that it was premature to determine whether any damage had occurred, as it had sufficient supplies to continue operating as usual in the short term.
Papua New Guinea is a developing nation that is primarily subsistence-oriented and is home to 800 languages. of the larger communities, there are few roads.
It is the second most populous South Pacific nation, following Australia, which has a population of approximately 27 million, with a population of 10 million.
Telecom government data indicates that 56% of the nation’s social media users reside in areas outside of Port Moresby, where telecommunications are notably inadequate. The Internet is utilized by only 1.66 million individuals nationwide, and 85% of the population resides in rural regions.
Located, Agence France-Presse notes that the region, which is situated just south of the equator, experiences frequent heavy rainfall. This year, there has been significant inundation throughout the region. A landslide in a neighboring province resulted in the deaths of at least 23 individuals.