A devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea has left hundreds feared dead as it struck remote villages in the highlands of Enga, north of the island nation in the south-west Pacific. The landslide, which buried more than 100 homes, occurred around 03:00 local time Friday, catching residents by surprise as they slept.
According to Enga governor Peter Ipatas, this natural disaster is unprecedented in the region. Community leader Andrew Ruing reported that more than 300 lives have been covered by debris and rocks, with properties worth millions lost in the disaster.
The scale of the landslide has made it difficult to rescue any survivors, with villager Ninga Role estimating that hundreds may have perished. The area covered by the landslide is vast, filled with rocks and trees, hindering rescue efforts.
Humanitarian organization Care Australia expressed concerns about the disproportionately high death toll in the sparsely populated area. Clearing roads for assessment and relief efforts will take time, further complicating the situation.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has dispatched disaster officials to the site to begin relief work, recover bodies, and reconstruct infrastructure. Videos shared on social media show villagers scrambling over rocks to reach those buried, with cries and yells echoing in the background.
The Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society has deployed an emergency response team to the site, consisting of officials from the provincial governor’s office, police, defense forces, and local NGOs. Enga, located more than 600km from the capital, Port Moresby, faces a long road to recovery from this tragic event.
