Papua New Guinea landslide kills more than 2,000 people

Papua New Guinea has officially requested international assistance for landslides that killed 2,000 people

"AFP PHOTO / INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION/MOHAMUD OMER

Residents of Yambali Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, are digging up soil to find family members who were buried by landslides that hit the village on Friday (24/5/2024).

PORT MORESBY, MONDAY —The government of Papua New Guinea announced that more than 2,000 people were buried by landslides last week. Port Moresby is appealing for international assistance to deal with the disaster.

A request was submitted via letter to the United Nations representative in Port Moresby. The letter mentioned that Port Moresby is concerned that more than 2,000 people were buried due to a landslide last Friday.

Also read: Flood and Earthquake Damage 1,000 Houses in Papua New Guinea

Director of the CARE International Humanitarian Agency, Justine McMahon, told ABC television, Monday (27/5/2024), that the rescue team was continuing their search efforts to find survivors. At least 1,250 people were forced to flee. Head of the UN Migration Agency for the South Pacific Serhan Aktoprak said, a landslide that occurred on Friday (24/5/2024) early morning local time buried houses and residents sleeping in them .

Local residents reported that heavy rain has fallen on the village in the mountain area for the past few weeks. In several locations, landslides have caused large rocks the size of cars to fall, uprooted trees, and buried areas up to a depth of 8 meters.

According to Aktoprak, the situation in the disaster zone is very critical due to continued landslides. "Water continues to flow and this poses a great risk for everyone involved," he said.

"AFP PHOTO / INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION/MOHAMUD OMER

An excavator heads towards the landslide area in Yambali Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, on May 26, 2024. More than 670 people died as a result of the disaster.

On Saturday (5/25/2024), using a locally contracted excavator, the emergency response team successfully lifted a number of buried victims. The number of casualties is expected to continue to increase in the coming days in line with the acceleration of digging efforts. Village residents with makeshift equipment are trying to search for family members who have become victims.

"The situation is truly terrible, the community is shocked and traumatized. The land is still sliding, rocks are still seen falling from the mountain," said Omer Mohamud, a member of the rescue team.

The water continues to flow and this poses a major risk to everyone involved.

The rescue team is facing difficulties due to the large scale of destruction but inadequate equipment. The Papua New Guinea government has established evacuation centers in safer and more spacious locations and transferred surviving victims to those places. McMahon stated that the primary priority at the moment is to move the victims to a more stable location, as well as provide food, water, and shelter.

Amidst rescue efforts, a tribal conflict broke out in Tambitanis Village which is located halfway towards the disaster zone. It is feared that the conflict will threaten the security of aid transport vehicles for landslide victims.

KAFURI YARO/UNDP PAPUA NEW GUINEA VIA AP

Residents of Yambali Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, bury the victims who died as a result of a landslide that hit the village, Friday (24/5/2024).

The Papua New Guinea army has been deployed to guard a convoy of vehicles carrying food, water, and other crucial supplies. Aktoprak stated that members of the tribe are unlikely to target the convoy. However, opportunistic criminals may take advantage of the chaos.

"There could be car hijackings or robberies. We are not only concerned about the safety and security of personnel but also the aid supplies. They may use this chaos to steal," he said.

As of Sunday, the number of injured and missing victims was still being counted. The population of Yambali Village is estimated at 4,000 people, but the number may have increased because other villagers moved to the village due to tribal clashes.

Also read: Salary Dispute Riot in Papua New Guinea Kills 15 People

Papua New Guinea's Defense Minister, Billy Joseph, and the Director of the National Disaster Center, Laso Mana, flew from Port Moresby by helicopter to Wabag, the capital of Enga Province, to assess the need for assistance. The government of Papua New Guinea is expected to decide on asking for international aid on Tuesday. The United States and Australia are among the countries that have expressed readiness to help.

AFP PHOTO / INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM)

The rescue team lifted residents found at the landslide location in Yambali Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, Saturday (25/5/2024).

US President Joe Biden expressed his willingness to help. French President Emmanuel Macron, through social media platform X, stated his readiness to contribute to the provision of assistance and reconstruction.

Papua New Guinea has recently faced a number of natural disasters. Before this landslide, there was flooding due to heavy rainfall. The World Bank states that Papua New Guinea has one of the wettest climates in the world with the highest rainfall concentrated in the humid highland areas. The study found that changes in rainfall patterns associated with climate change could worsen the risk of landslides. (AP/AFP/REUTERS)