A Papua New Guinea (PNG) official has reported to the United Nations that over 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive by a devastating landslide on Friday, May 24. The country has formally requested international assistance.
This figure is significantly higher than the UN’s estimate of 670 fatalities in the landslide, which struck the mountainous interior of the South Pacific island nation. So far, the remains of only six victims have been recovered.
Luseta Laso Mana, the acting director of Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Center, stated that the landslide caused “major destruction” and buried “more than 2,000 people alive” in Yambali village, located in Enga province.
The casualty estimates have varied widely since the disaster, and it remains unclear how the officials determined the number of people affected.
The International Organization for Migration, collaborating closely with the government and spearheading the global response efforts maintained its estimated death toll of 670, as announced on Sunday, May 26. It opted to keep this figure unchanged until new evidence emerges.
“We are not able to dispute what the government suggests but we are not able to comment on it,” said Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the UN migrant agency’s mission in Papua New Guinea.
“As time goes in such a massive undertaking, the number will remain fluid,” Aktoprak stated.
The death toll of 670 was derived from assessments conducted by officials from Yambali village and Enga province, indicating that over 150 homes had been engulfed by the landslide. This figure marks a notable increase from the previous estimate of 60 homes.
PM’s Office Silent on Casualty Count
As of Monday, May 27, the office of Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has not responded to inquiries regarding the government’s basis for the higher estimate of 2,000 casualties.
Marape pledged to disclose information regarding the extent of the devastation and loss of life as soon as it becomes available.
Determining the full extent of the disaster is proving challenging due to various factors on the ground. These include the remote location of the village, limited telecommunications infrastructure, and ongoing tribal conflicts throughout the province.
Consequently, international relief workers and aid convoys require military escorts for safe passage.
In February 2024, at least 26 tribal warriors and mercenaries were killed in a clash between two warring tribes in Enga, along with an unconfirmed number of bystanders.
The national government’s lack of reliable census data further complicates efforts to determine the potential death toll from the landslide. The government estimates Papua New Guinea’s population to be around 10 million.
However, a 2022 UN study, which used satellite imagery to count rooftops, suggested the population could be as high as 17 million. The country has not conducted an accurate census in decades.
The landslide not only buried a 200-meter (650-foot) section of the province’s primary highway under 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 feet) of debris but also posed a significant challenge for relief workers.
According to Luseta Laso Mana, the landslide is expected to have a substantial economic impact on the entire country.
“The situation remains unstable” due to the shifting ground, “posing an ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike,” Mana wrote to the United Nations.
On Sunday, a local builder donated an excavator, marking the arrival of the first piece of heavy machinery to aid villagers who had been using shovels and farming tools to search for bodies. The shifting debris makes this work dangerous.
Mana and Papua New Guinea’s Defense Minister, Billy Joseph, flew to Yambali, 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of the capital Port Moresby, in an Australian military helicopter to assess the situation and determine the necessary aid.
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