Relatives of the missing are waiting to find their loved ones Picture: AFP file photo
Authorities in Papua New Guinea have warned of more landslides. In such a situation, 7 thousand 900 people living in the villages near the remote landslide area are being evacuated. The government of Papua New Guinea has taken such an initiative on Tuesday.
The landslide occurred in the early hours of May 24 near the village of Yambali in Nga Province, Papua New Guinea. It is feared that 2000 people lost their lives due to landslides in this incident.
Rescue and relief operations are being hampered as the landslide area is inaccessible, a road link has collapsed and heavy rains continue. On top of that, there is a fight going on between people of small ethnic groups in the surrounding areas. In such a situation, the disaster situation could become more dire, Ngar provincial administrator Sandis Saka warned.
Limestone, dirt and rock dust are still falling from Mt Mungalo. In such a situation, local people are being evacuated due to fear of new disaster. Authorities are trying to evacuate around 7,900 people collectively, Saka said.
“The disaster is still going on,” Saka told AFP. The sound of falling rocks is heard every hour. Sounds like bombs and bullets. The stones are falling down.’
The severity of the landslide area was captured in the satellite image yesterday Monday.
By Saturday night, 5 bodies and only one leg were recovered from the rubble.
In a letter sent to the United Nations last Sunday, the National Disaster Center of Papua New Guinea said they feared the loss of 2,000 lives. They also said that due to the landslide, there has been major damage to buildings and agricultural land.
United Nations Development Program official Nicholas Booth said that it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of how many people actually lived in the landslide area. Because many local people have fled the area in the last few years due to the conflict of ethnic minorities.
Serhan Aktoprak, an official with the United Nations Migration Agency, explained why rescue operations are being hampered by conflict between the groups.
Serhan Aktoprak said, “Many houses are burning, smoke is emitting from some of them. All the men in the area are walking around with knives. And women and children have left the area.
He said this based on information received from a relief convoy trying to reach the affected area.