A harrowing disaster unfolded on Friday in Papua New Guinea (PNG), where reports indicate that over 100 individuals may have lost their lives in a devastating landslide that engulfed a village.
The calamity struck Kaokalam village in Enga province, nestled approximately 600km northwest of the PNG capital, Port Moresby, around 15:00 GMT, as detailed by the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC).
Although official figures have yet to be confirmed by authorities, residents assert that the death toll exceeds 100, with fears that the actual count might be considerably higher.
Social media footage portrays the grim scene of locals desperately extricating bodies from beneath the rubble of rocks and trees. Despite the urgency of the situation, there has been no immediate response from the Papua New Guinea government or police.
Elizabeth Laruma, overseeing a women’s business association in Porgera, a neighboring town within the same province as the Porgera Gold Mine, described how village homes were obliterated when a mountainside gave way during the early hours.
Laruma lamented, “It has occurred when people were still asleep… From what I can presume, it’s about 100-plus people who are buried beneath the ground.”
The landslide’s aftermath has severed the road connecting Porgera to the affected village, raising concerns regarding the town’s access to essential supplies like fuel and goods.
Village resident Ninga Role, who was fortunately away during the catastrophe, fears for the lives of at least four of his relatives. He described the immense challenge in locating bodies amidst the debris.
Belinda Kora, an ABC reporter based in Port Moresby, highlighted the lack of official commentary from authorities even more than 12 hours after the tragedy. With the main road closed, access to the mountainous Highlands region, where the village is located, is restricted, leaving helicopters as the sole means of reaching the site.
