Three bodies found after landslide in Papua New Guinea

Media in the Pacific nation said Friday's landslide buried more than 300 people and more than 1,100 homes when it flattened Kaokalam village in Enga province, about 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby.

A landslide in Enga province, Papua New Guinea on May 24, 2024, caused many houses to collapse. Photo: Reuters

The United Nations office in Papua New Guinea said in a statement that three bodies had been recovered from the area where 50 to 60 homes were destroyed. Six people, including a child, had been pulled alive from the rubble. They said many buried people were still unaccounted for as search and rescue efforts continued.

The Australian aid group CARE said late on Saturday that nearly 4,000 people lived in the affected area but the number was likely higher as the area was “a shelter for people displaced by conflict” in nearby areas.

At least 26 men were previously killed in Enga province in February by an ambush amid inter-tribal violence.

The landslide left deep craters covering 200 square kilometers, cutting off roads and complicating relief efforts. CARE said helicopters were the only way to reach the area, adding that more homes would be at risk if landslides continued due to the unstable terrain.

Hong Hanh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ba-thi-the-duoc-tim-thay-sau-vu-lo-dat-nghiem-trong-o-papua-new-guinea-post296925.html