Hundreds feared dead after landslide hits remote Papua New Guinea village

SYDNEY – Hundreds are feared dead after a massive landslide flattened dozens of homes and buried families alive in a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea early on May 24.

More than 50 homes, many with people still asleep inside, were buried when the landslide hit Kaokalam village around 3am, villager Ninga Role told Reuters by phone.

The death toll was nearly 300, among them his brother and cousin, he said.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp and local media reported that more than 100 people had been killed.

One man who turned back to try to save his two children was buried along with his family, Mr Role said.

He posted footage on social media that shows people clambering over rocks, uprooted trees and mounds of dirt searching for survivors. Women can be heard weeping in the background.

“The area covered by the landslide is large, there are rocks and trees everywhere,” Mr Role said. “It’s very difficult to get them out.”

The village is in Enga province, about 600km north of the capital Port Moresby.

Prime Minister James Marape said in a statement that he has yet to be fully briefed, but that the authorities are responding to the disaster.

“We are sending in disaster officials, PNG Defence Force, and the Department of Works and Highways to meet provincial and district officials in Enga and also start relief work, recovery of bodies and reconstruction of infrastructure,” he said.

“I will release further information as I am fully briefed on the scale of destruction and loss of lives.”

The landslide hit a section of a highway near the Porgera gold mine, operated by Barrick Gold through Barrick Niugini, its joint venture with China’s Zijin Mining.

A spokesman said it was too soon to know whether there has been any damage to the mine, which has enough supplies to operate normally in the short term. REUTERS