Current:Home > MyMore than 100 feared dead in massive landslide in Papua New Guinea -VitalWealth Strategies
More than 100 feared dead in massive landslide in Papua New Guinea
View
Date:2025-04-13 02:29:55
Melbourne, Australia — More than 100 people are believed to have been killed Friday in a landslide that buried a village in a remote, mountainous part of Papua New Guinea, and an emergency response is underway, the South Pacific island nation's leader and news media said.
The landslide reportedly hit Kaokalam village in Enga province, about 370 miles northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, at roughly 3 a.m., Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Residents said estimates of the death toll were above 100, although authorities haven't confirmed that figure. Villagers said the number of people killed could be much higher.
Villager Ninga Role told Reuters more than 50 homes, many with people asleep inside, were buried when the landslide hit. He said the death toll was nearly 300, with his brother and cousin among the dead. It was unclear where he got his information.
Role, who was away when the landslide struck, told The Associated Press he expects at least four of his relatives have died. "There are some huge stones and plants, trees. The buildings collapsed," Role said. "These things are making it hard to find the bodies fast."
Prime Minister James Marape said authorities were responding and he would release information about the destruction and loss of life when it was available.
"I am yet to be fully briefed on the situation. However, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the landslide disaster in the early hours of this morning," Marape said in a statement.
"We are sending in disaster officials, PNG Defense Force, and the Department of Works and Highways to ... start relief work, recovery of bodies, and reconstruction of infrastructure," he added.
Videos on social media show locals pulling bodies out that were buried under rocks and trees.
The Papua New Guinea government and police didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Elizabeth Laruma, who runs a women's business association in Porgera, a town in the same province near the Porgera Gold Mine, said village houses were flattened when the side of a mountain gave way.
"It has occurred when people were still asleep in the early hours, and the entire village has gone down," Laruma told ABC. "From what I can presume, it's about 100-plus people who are buried beneath the ground."
The landslide blocked the road between Porgera and the village, she said, raising concerns about the town's own supply of fuel and goods.
Belinda Kora, a Port Moresby-based ABC reporter, said helicopters were the only way of accessing the village, which is in the mountainous interior region known as the Highlands, with the main road closed.
Reuters reports that local media said the landslide affected operations at the Porgera gold mine, which is run by Barrick Gold through Barrick Niugini Ltd, a joint venture with China's Zijin Mining.
A spokesperson told Reuters it was too soon to know whether there had been any damage to the mine, which had enough supplies to operate normally in the short term.
Papua New Guinea is a diverse, developing nation of mostly subsistence farmers with 800 languages. There are few roads outside the larger cites.
With 10 million people, it is also the most populous South Pacific nation after Australia, which is home to some 27 million.
Telecommunications are poor, particularly outside Port Moresby where government data shows 56% of the nation's social media users reside. Only 1.66 million people across the country use the internet and 85% of the population live in rural areas.
Located just south of the equator, the area gets frequent heavy rains, Agence France-Presse points out, adding that there's been intense rainfall and flooding this year. At least 23 people were killed by a landslide in a nearby province in March.
- In:
- Papua New Guinea
- Landslide
veryGood! (96891)
Related
- Plunge Into These Olympic Artistic Swimmers’ Hair and Makeup Secrets
- Law enforcement cracking down on Super Bowl counterfeits
- Audit of $19,000 lectern purchase for Arkansas governor almost done
- TikToker Cat Janice Shares “Last Joy” With 7-Year-Old Son Amid Her Rare Sarcoma Cancer Battle
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Will King Charles abdicate the throne? When 'hell freezes over,' experts say
- Biden hosting Germany’s Scholz as Europe grows anxious about Ukraine funding impasse in Washington
- Marianne Williamson suspends presidential campaign
- British swimmer Adam Peaty: There are worms in the food at Paris Olympic Village
- Botched's Dr. Terry Dubrow Has Officially Weighed in on RHOBH's Esophagus-Gate Controversy
Ranking
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- A 'Moana' sequel is coming this fall. Here's everything we know so far.
- The Little-Known Story of How World War II Led to the Inception of New York Fashion Week
- Texas man sentenced to 180 days in jail for drugging wife’s drinks to induce an abortion
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Biden determined to use stunning Trump-backed collapse of border deal as a weapon in 2024 campaign
- Maryland judges’ personal information protected under bill passed by Senate after fatal shooting
- A 'Moana' sequel is coming this fall. Here's everything we know so far.
Recommendation
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
NBA trade grades: Lakers get a D-; Knicks surprise with an A
Tennessee authorities search for suspect in shooting of 2 sheriff’s deputies
Man who diverted national park river to ease boat access on Lake Michigan convicted of misdemeanors
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
AI-generated voices in robocalls can deceive voters. The FCC just made them illegal
Jellyfish with bright red cross found in remote deep-sea volcanic structure
A baby boom of African penguin chicks hatches at a San Francisco science museum