A government agency has expressed concern that the number of missing individuals in Papua New Guinea following a lethal landslide could exceed thousands.
The National Disaster Centre’s acting director stated in a letter that it was anticipated that over 2,000 individuals were buried alive during the disaster that occurred on Friday.
Nevertheless, it has been challenging to determine an exact casualty figure, and estimates have differed significantly.
Rescue efforts have been impeded by rubble that is 10 meters (32 feet) deep in certain locations and a lack of sufficient equipment.
The United Nations (UN) has estimated that 670 individuals are missing, while fewer than a dozen bodies have been recovered thus far.
Observers have reported that a bustling village in Enga province was completely destroyed by the collapse of a mountainside early Friday morning.
The devastation is estimated to have extended for nearly one kilometer.
Prior to the catastrophe, approximately 3,800 individuals resided in the vicinity.
The letter from Lusete Laso Mana stated that the damage was “extensive” and had “caused a significant impact on the economic lifeline of the country.”
Prime Minister James Marape has directed the country’s defense force and emergency agencies to the region, which is approximately 600 kilometers northwest of the capital, Port Moresby.
He has also expressed his condolences.
However, residents of the Kaokalam village that was impacted by the incident are still anticipating the intervention of officials in order to conduct more extensive rescue operations.
Evit Kambu, a resident, expressed her conviction that numerous members of her family were ensnared beneath the wreckage and debris.
“The debris and soil on which I am standing have buried eighteen of my family members.”
“I am unable to count the number of additional family members in the village,” she informed the news agency Reuters.
“We are grateful to all those who have arrived to provide assistance.
” However, I am unable to retrieve the carcasses, and as a result, I am unable to do anything.
The BBC was informed by a community leader who visited the site that the residents felt that they had been left to fend for themselves.
They were employing spades and their bare hands to attempt to extract individuals.
“Despite the passage of nearly three to four days, numerous bodies have yet to be identified.”
Ignas Nembo stated on the BBC’s Newshour program that the landslide continues to obscure the area, and individuals are experiencing significant difficulty in extracting themselves.
They are requesting assistance and assistance from the government.
Nevertheless, a police official from the province reported to the BBC that he had observed soldiers appear at the location and were attempting to remove boulders in order to free the trapped individuals.
Acting Provincial Police Commander Martin Kelei characterized these endeavors as precarious, as the removal of car-sized boulders and other substantial impediments posed a risk of additional rock slips.
“Digging is currently exceedingly challenging due to our concerns regarding additional landslides and fatalities. Consequently, local residents are only excavating in areas that they perceive as secure.
” He stated, “We are endeavoring to locate the locations where individuals are interred.”
He claimed that survivors could still be heard calling for assistance under the rubble, and he had visited the site on numerous occasions since Friday’s collapse.
One couple was rescued from beneath boulders, according to local media.
They had managed to escape, as their residence was only marginally affected by the landslide’s force.
The local NBC channel reported that they were rescued after rescue personnel heard their cries for assistance.
The region is still considered high-risk due to the possibility of additional rainfall, and the remaining residents are being evacuated.
Justine McMahon, the country coordinator of Care Australia, one of the humanitarian aid agencies on the ground, stated, “The ground is also quite unstable at the moment and is at risk of triggering further landslides.”
“We’ve decided to stay out for now to allow the authorities time to properly assess the situation to conduct the rescue and recovery operations.”
The BBC had previously been informed of the challenges associated with the rescue by an official from the United Nations Migration Agency in the country.
According to Serhan Aktoprak of the International Organization for Migration, teams that were attempting to recover corpses encountered a variety of obstacles, such as the reluctance of some grieving relatives to allow heavy machinery to approach their loved ones.
Rather, according to him, “people are using digging sticks, spades, large agricultural forks to remove the bodies buried under the soil” .
Large boulders, trees, and displaced soil comprise the debris from the landslide.
Rescue efforts are also being impeded by significant damage to the sole road leading to the town, according to the crews at the site.
Ms. McMahon stated that the landslide has caused damage to a length of approximately 200 meters (650 feet).
In the northern region of the island nation, the Mount Mungalo landslide transpired in the highlands of Enga.
The mountain’s disintegration has been attributed by local officials and reporters to the prolonged period of heavy rainfall and other wet conditions in the region.
With contributions from Tiffanie Turnbull in Sydney