Papua New Guinea: Landslide caused devastation, 2000 people buried alive, rescue work underway

Lucette Lasso Mana, acting director of the National Disaster Center, said in a letter to the United Nations that more than 2,000 people were buried alive in the landslide and it is quite devastating. Along with buildings, fields have also suffered a lot of damage. Due to this, the situation has become unstable. He also said that the landslide is moving slowly, which can prove to be a danger to the people.

Landslide in Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, nature wreaked such havoc that there was devastation all around. People were buried alive due to the landslide that occurred here on Friday. A government official has informed the United Nations that more than 2 thousand people have been buried alive in the landslide. The Papua New Guinea government has asked for international help for relief efforts.

Earlier, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had feared that 670 people would die due to a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea. But this figure of the government is almost three times more than the figures of IOM. It is being said that till now only the bodies of six people have been recovered. The search is on for the remaining people.

Lucette Lasso Mana, acting director of the National Disaster Center, said in a letter to the United Nations that more than 2000 people were buried alive in the landslide and it is quite devastating. Along with buildings, fields have also suffered a lot of damage. Due to this, the situation has become unstable. He also said that the landslide is moving slowly, which can prove to be a danger to the people.

The acting director says that due to landslides the roads connecting many areas have also been broken. The roads have completely deteriorated. Due to this, the rescue workers are facing a lot of difficulties in reaching the affected area. Finding people after landslides is a big challenge for rescue workers. He said estimates of the number of casualties since the disaster struck vary widely. The director said it was currently unclear how authorities counted the number of victims.

Australia on Monday prepared to send aircraft and other equipment to help at the landslide site in Papua New Guinea. After overnight rain in the mountainous areas of Papua New Guinea, it is feared that hundreds of villagers may be buried under the debris. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his officials have been talking with their Papua New Guinea counterparts since Friday.