Papua New Guinea Reports More Than 2,000 People Buried In Landslide

According to a copy of the letter acquired by AFP, Papua New Guinea alerted the UN on Monday that around 2,000 people had been buried in a large landslide that swept over a secluded community.

“The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction,” the country’s national disaster center notified the UN headquarters in the capital Port Moresby.

A once-bustling isolated hillside community in Enga province was nearly destroyed when a section of Mount Mungalo crumbled in the early hours of Friday morning, burying scores of homes and the people sleeping inside them.

The disaster office stated that the landslide “caused major destruction to buildings, food gardens, and had a significant impact on the country’s economic lifeline.”

UN officials received a letter on Monday morning stating that the major highway to Porgera Mine was “completely blocked”.

“The situation remains unstable as the landslip continue to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike.”

The magnitude of the disaster necessitated “immediate and collaborative actions from all players,” including the army, national and regional rescuers.

It urged the UN to advise Papua New Guinea’s development partners “and other international friends” of the current developments.

It recommended that assistance be organized through the disaster centre.

 

 

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