Over 670 people died in a massive Papua New Guinea landslide, UN estimates, as survivors seek safety
The International Organization for Migration increased its estimate of the death toll from a devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea to over 670 on Sunday, as hopes of finding any survivors faded. Emergency responders and grieving relatives have largely given up hope of rescue.
Serhan Aktoprak, head of the U.N. migration agency’s mission in the South Pacific nation, said the new death toll was based on local officials' calculations that more than 150 homes in Yambali village and Enga province were buried by the landslide. The previous estimate had been 60 homes.
"They are estimating that more than 670 people are under the soil at the moment," Aktoprak told The Associated Press.
Initially, local officials estimated the death toll at 100 or more. By Sunday, only five bodies and a leg had been recovered, despite the arrival of an excavator to aid the search.
Relief crews were relocating survivors as unstable earth and ongoing tribal warfare complicated rescue efforts. Around 250 additional houses were condemned due to shifting ground, leaving approximately 1,250 people homeless.
The national government is considering whether to request more international support. Rescue crews have abandoned hope of finding survivors beneath the 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 feet) of debris.
“People are coming to terms with this, so there is a serious level of grieving and mourning,” Aktoprak said. He noted that the death toll estimate is based on household averages and may not be precise.
Authorities are setting up evacuation centers on safer ground near the massive debris field, which spans an area the size of three to four football fields and has severed the main provincial highway.
Convoys delivering food, water, and supplies since Saturday have faced risks from tribal fighting near Tambitanis village. Papua New Guinea soldiers are providing security for these convoys.
Eight locals were killed in a clash between rival clans on Saturday, in an incident unrelated to the landslide. Approximately 30 homes and five businesses were destroyed in the fighting.
Aktoprak expressed concerns about opportunistic criminals targeting the convoys amid the chaos. "There is not only concern for the safety and security of the personnel but also the goods because they may use this chaos as a means to steal," he said.
The exact population of the village at the time of the landslide is uncertain. Long-standing tribal warfare has disrupted population counts, with many people recently relocating to the area to escape violence.
Justine McMahon, country director of CARE International, emphasized the immediate priority of moving survivors to safer ground and providing them with food, water, and shelter. The military is leading these efforts.
Injured and missing persons are still being accounted for. Seven people, including a child, received medical treatment by Saturday, though details of their conditions were unavailable.
Papua New Guinea Defense Minister Billy Joseph and National Disaster Center Director Laso Mana were flying to Wabag on Sunday to assess the situation firsthand. Aktoprak expects the government to decide by Tuesday whether to request additional international aid.
The United States and Australia, Papua New Guinea’s most generous foreign aid provider, have expressed readiness to assist further.
Papua New Guinea, a nation with 800 languages and 10 million people, is mostly comprised of subsistence farmers.
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