Massive landslide hits Papua New Guinea, many feared dead

PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: A massive landslide struck six villages in Papua New Guinea’s highlands Friday, local officials said, with many homes believed to be buried and scores of villagers feared dead.

The disaster hit a remote part of Enga province at around 3:00 am local time, when many villagers were at home asleep.

Provincial governor Peter Ipatas told AFP that “there has been a big landslide causing loss of life and property” amid unconfirmed reports that hundreds may be buried.

He later said that “more than six villages” had been hit, describing the scene as an “unprecedented natural disaster” that had caused “substantial damages”.

A rapid response team of medics, military, police and UN agencies have been dispatched to the area to assess the damage and help the wounded.

Images from the scene showed a vast bite of rock and soil cleaved from densely vegetated Mount Mungalo.

The slide left a wide scar of car-size boulders, felled trees and dirt that stretched down far toward the valley floor.

The remains of many corrugated tin shelters could be seen at the foot of rubble.

Dozens of local men and women scrambled over the piles of rock and soil, digging, crying out, listening for survivors or scanning the scene in disbelief.

Some became instant rescuers, donning wellington boots, strapping on head torches, picking up machetes and long-handled axes to help clear the rubble.

As they moved around, children carried on their mother’s backs could be heard crying.

“The landslide hit around three last night and it looks like more than 100 houses got buried,” Vincent Pyati, president of the local Community Development Association, told AFP.

“It is not yet known how many people were in those houses. The number of victims is unknown.”