Unsettled rubble and debris are complicating search and rescue efforts in rural Papua New Guinea on Saturday, a day after massive landslides buried villages and killed at least three people. Local authorities said the death toll could be at least several hundred.
Sandis Tshaka, provincial administrator of Enga province, which includes the affected area, said about 4,000 people live in the three villages caught in the landslide, which occurred early on Friday. He said the death toll was likely to be higher because the landslide hit a densely populated area and a busy traffic corridor.
“Our people consider this to be of biblical proportions,” he said. “We are asking for all assistance and support to deal with a humanitarian disaster on a scale never seen before in this region.”
Tsukamoto said three bodies were pulled from the rubble on Friday and five people, including a child, were treated for injuries.
The disaster struck at about 3 a.m., catching most residents by surprise when huge rocks, some bigger than shipping containers, collapsed. At least 60 homes were buried under 20 feet of rubble, Tshaka said. At least 500 feet of the Porgera Highway, the main road connecting the area, was flooded, he said.
Serhan Aktoprak, head of the International Organization for Migration's Papua New Guinea office, said the landslide buried an area the size of three to four football fields. After some delays, a humanitarian convoy reached affected villages on Saturday afternoon to deliver tarpaulins and water, he said.
The villages, mostly subsistence farmers, are in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean north of Australia that has been plagued in recent months by an escalation of deadly inter-tribal clashes.
Aktoprak said the aid convoy was delayed by a blockade set up by one of the groups involved in the conflict and was only allowed through after the military intervened, slowing the relief effort at a time when time was running out. He noted that daylight hours are shorter in the Southern Hemisphere, with the sun setting before 6 p.m.
“Every time that passes, the chances of getting to them alive essentially decrease,” he said.
Tsuka, the ministry official, said the area is prone to small landslides and has experienced continuous rain in recent months.
Heavy rains are expected to continue pounding the region over the next few days, further complicating rescue efforts. International organisations and the country's defence forces are rushing to help, Tshaka said.
President Biden said in a statement on Friday that the United States stands ready to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also said in a statement that her country stands ready to respond to requests for assistance.
Vincent Piatti, chairman of the local Community Development Association, said the tolls could be rising because the area is a transport hub and many people travel from more remote areas at night to catch public transport. He said there are also drinking clubs popular with people from across the district.
Piatti said at least 300 people were estimated to have died.